


Little Sparrow

by erurification



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: AU, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, I'm so sorry for this, Idk what i'm doing, M/M, antiquated medieval mentalities, see you all in hell
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-26
Updated: 2015-06-24
Packaged: 2018-03-19 17:12:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 30,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3617742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erurification/pseuds/erurification
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“From this day forward,” the king continued, “Levi, you are no longer a servant. You are my son, my child, my very own, and the prince of this kingdom. One day, you may very well wear this crown upon your own head. Until then, you are my little sparrow, and you will sing whichever birdsongs that I, your father, bid you to.”</p><p>Alternatively known as: that medieval AU where Levi, a servant boy turned prince, is ordered into an arranged marriage but remains involved in a potentially scandalous and dangerous affair with a certain Commander Erwin Smith.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sparrow.

**Author's Note:**

> My first fic, yay? Not sure if that's something we ought to be happy about! I was nervous about posting this because I've seen that people can be really nasty about fics, so while I would appreciate constructive criticism and suggestions, please be gentle! I was thinking about making Kenny the king, but thought better of it when I realised I don't actually have a very good grasp on his character. Then again, everyone will probably be way out of character. Oops. (This fic is unbeta-ed, so all mistakes are my own.)
> 
> As a preliminary warning, this fic will involve violence, forced/arranged marriage, and other non-consensual elements. I don't intend for the king's relationship with Levi to be an instance of paedophilia, but I think it has the potential to be construed as such so I'll make that warning as well, just to be safe.
> 
> The fic was inspired by [this](http://levixerwin.tumblr.com/post/113819978583/au-where-levi-an-orphan-servant-boy-catches-the).

For the kingdom of Sina, the future looked uncertain.

The future is always uncertain, of course - nobody knows what the tides will bring in - but it seemed even more so the case when the king, after all of his years on the throne thus far, remained unmarried and heirless.

The king of Sina belonged to a long, ancient line that had been ruling as far back as anyone in any of the realms could remember. His father had been king, as had his grandfather, and great-grandfather, and all the fathers that came before him. The eldest of five children, he had once been a handsome, bright-eyed and gallant young man who was admired by all the ladies of court. But the light in his eyes had long since dulled to a hollow, hungry glow, and his head of brilliant fair hair had faded to a lifeless grey beneath the gold of his crown.

Never did he show interest in any of those young ladies who swooned over him in his youth, and never did he express any interest in marriage or children. Marriage, the king thought, was a political game that he himself never had the patience nor desire to play. But eventually, someone would have to play it for him.

He had nieces and nephews, of course. Terrible, spoilt, impudent brats, the lot of them, and all of them swarmed his throne room with their sycophantic smiles and sickly sweet speeches, professing that they loved their uncle best in hopes that he might name one of them his heir. They were all disgusting little liars, and not one of them, the king thought, was worthy to take his place and rule.

The king was plagued by an incessant fear that one of them might try to take away what was his, so he surrounded himself by a guard of elite knights, all of whom were ordered to swear their fealty to him. But the fear was still there, gnawing at him day by day like a horde of hungry, flea-bitten rats.

And so the king ordered his siblings to be beheaded, and banished every last one of their repulsive spawn to the wastelands where they would never bother him again. He spent many decades of his rule in solitude, locked away with his gold, attended only by his guards and the most faithful of servants. He had no spouse, children, or friends to speak of.

Mad king, the people of Sina called him, for only a madman would cling to his crown and forsake his own flesh and blood for fear that they would pry it out of his fingers.

Few things in life gave the king joy, save gold and good service. And good service came in the form of a servant boy called Levi.

Little Levi had come to the king’s court when he was not more than five years of age, sold to him by slave traders from the eastern realms in exchange for a few coins. It had been a smart purchase. Quiet, contemplative, and unfailingly obedient, the child had quickly become the king’s favourite. Levi always followed orders without question and cleaned better and more thoroughly than any other servant, but the king had always been able to see something else within his eyes - smoke and fire, blue flames that flickered nimbly upon the wick of a candle. Even with all of that obedience and loyalty, there was something feral and exotic within Levi that could not be tamed, and it excited the king.

He doted on Levi, making the boy his personal attendant. Levi would set out his garments for the day every morning, prepare his baths, keep his royal chambers spotlessly clean, pour his wine, and make sure he always looked presentable. Perhaps it was an odd arrangement, but the king liked having Levi by his side at all hours of the day. He would sometimes present the boy with little trinkets and gifts, and one day a week, Levi would be excused from his normal duties to attend lessons - reading, writing, music, and rhetoric. This was a luxury that the king extended to no other servant but his treasured personal attendant, and he saw to it that Levi had only the best tutors in the kingdom to oversee his studies. Levi was a clever child, of course, and always learned quickly, much to the king’s delight.

As the years passed, the king kept a watchful eye over Levi. Like any good servant, the child never left the castle grounds and attended to the king’s every whim. With permission, he was allowed to play in the gardens, as long as he had an escort. Most of the time, it was the son of the commander of his guard - Erwin, the boy was called, a dependable youth several years older than Levi who showed promise of becoming just as fine of a knight as his father.

Perhaps it was wrong of the king to keep Levi confined within the castle like this, but the king was admittedly a selfish man, and he couldn’t bear the thought of someone snatching Levi away from him, just as he had once feared that one of his siblings or their nasty little offspring might try to steal his crown. As Levi neared the age of ten, he had a face like a little china doll’s, and the king could already see the beauty that he would grow with when he reached adulthood. He might have loved his gold, but those silver eyes, he thought, could be another thing entirely.  

After all, the king greatly coveted beautiful things.

But the king was a man of simple, pragmatic desires - he had never looked upon any woman, nor man, with feelings of lust or love, no matter how beautiful. To him, beauty was something to be nurtured and preserved, and beautiful things were to be carefully kept that way until there came a time for them to be used.

“Levi,” the king said one day as the boy served him his wine, “How have you been getting on with your studies?”

“Very well, I think, my lord,” Levi answered as the ruby red liquid splashed into the king’s goblet, “Soon, I shall be able to play a new song on the lute for you, if it pleases you.”

“It would please me very much, I’m sure,” the king smiled, lifting the wine goblet to his lips and taking a long, satisfying drink. He paused for a moment, gaze never leaving his servant boy, who dared to stare back at him with those lovely quicksilver eyes. Finally, the king spoke again.

“I’ve always wondered, my dear boy, where your mother and father are.”

“They’re dead, my lord,” Levi replied, voice as even as the surface of the fish ponds in the royal gardens. He looked so small in that cavernous throne room, the king thought, and he smiled again.

“Do you know what today is, Levi?”

“I do not, my lord.”

“It is your birthday. You are ten years old today.”

Levi said nothing, quietly refilling the king’s cup back to the brim before setting the boarskin flask down.

“From this day forward,” the king continued, “Levi, you are no longer a servant. You are my son, my child, my very own, and the prince of this kingdom. One day, you may very well wear this crown upon your own head. Until then, you are my little sparrow, and you will sing whichever birdsongs that I, your father, bid you to.”

“Yes, your highness,” Levi replied, eyes downcast. The king smiled, reaching down to stroke Levi’s raven-black hair as the boy knelt before him.

"Good boy,” he said, “You and I shall do very well together, won’t we?”

“We will, my lord,” Levi answered obediently, “I will do as you tell me.” He was like a pretty little doll, the king thought, and he was all his.

He took another long sip of wine and leaned contently back in his throne.

Levi was no sparrow - that the king knew well. He was a raven, the cleverest and most enigmatic of all birds, and one day, he would be a useful pawn indeed in that political game of marriage.


	2. Fruit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More medieval AU cliches ahead!  
> Also, I probably won't be updating this fast regularly, even though my chapters tend to be quite short. I'm a beginner at fic-writing so I'm not good enough to write nice long meaty chapters yet!

Finding Levi was never a difficult task for Erwin. The prince could easily avoid others if he so pleased, hidden away in one of the castle’s countless rooms, but Erwin knew him too well for that.

He’d been looking forward to seeing the prince all morning. Clever, beautiful Prince Levi, as elusive as smoke when he wanted to be, but full of fire - fire that was carefully hidden away under an undecipherable facade that was as smooth and even as the marble floors that lined the king’s throne room. It was certainly there, though. Erwin had felt the heat of that fire himself many times, bright and hot underneath his hands as he caressed every inch of alabaster flesh that Levi would allow.

Just as Erwin thought, Levi had chosen to spend that morning in the royal library. It was well-known that the prince was a voracious reader, having little else to do in the tedium of day to day court life. Erwin found him sitting by one of the great stained-glass windows, curled up cat-like on a chair with a book in his hands.

“It’s far too fine a day to sit inside reading,” Erwin commented as he approached the prince, “The king’s gardens look especially beautiful today. Won’t you come outside with me and enjoy the blooms?”

Levi peered slyly at Erwin over the top of his book before snapping it shut, unfolding himself from the chair with feline grace.

“Is that all we’ll be enjoying, Commander Smith?” he asked coyly as he set the book down, fingers briefly tracing the gilt gold binding before he reached out to take the outstretched arm that was offered to him.

Erwin grinned.

“As always, I’m here to please you, your highness.”

Erwin had known Levi for many years now, since both of them were children. He could still remember the day when Levi had first come to live at the castle. He had been a servant at that time, a slave, and for quite some time, Erwin was his only companion. They had spent many pleasant summer days together in the gardens. The king had been terrified that someone might try to snatch Levi away from him, and so the boy was never allowed to step outside of the castle without the presence of an escort. Most of the time, that duty had fallen to young Erwin, but he had never minded much. Levi hadn’t been like most boys his age - instead of snot-nosed, loud, and obnoxious, he had been taciturn and unusually poised for so young a child.

When the king declared Levi his foster son and the crown prince of Sina, Erwin had been entrusted with his safety. For a few years, the two of them were inseparable, until Erwin had been sent away for military training - a compulsory rite for all young men who hoped to fight as one of the king’s most elite knights and guards.

But it was not the king who Erwin wished to fight for - it was Levi, his prince, and he endured those years of gruelling training for his sake alone. He would become an elite knight of the king’s guard, and he would live to protect Levi.

During that time, the two of them remained in close correspondence, exchanging letters regularly. He would tell Levi about the other trainees, the terrible rations they were fed, and how much he missed those summer days in the garden from their childhoods. In response, Levi would write about castle life, the insipid nobles and foreign dignitaries he had to endure, and what books he was currently reading.

And then one day, he received a letter from Levi that ended with the words _I can no longer stand to be here by myself. I feel like I will suffocate. You’d best come back to me soon, Erwin Smith,_ and this became Erwin’s chief motivation as he trained to be the best.

When Erwin had finally returned to the castle five years later as a fully fledged soldier worthy of knighthood, he found that Levi was no longer a boy, but an exquisite beauty, looking every bit the prince that the king had been grooming him to be.

By then, Erwin’s father was dead, and so he took up his father’s sword and stepped into his place as the Commander of the king’s guard. He swore himself to the king’s eternal service, as was expected of his rank, but as for his heart - that he devoted to Levi.

The king was strict about what Levi could and couldn’t do, and it made Erwin furious to think that for Levi, living in the castle wasn’t much different from being a bird in a cage. A poor little sparrow, made to sing the songs that he was ordered to. It was appalling, the things that the king would bid Levi do - cosying up to men twice his age to lure them into giving up their gold and land, dangling himself in front of them like a prize they might be able to win if they played their cards right. It was amazing what men would do and give up when they thought they had the slightest possibility of having Levi for their own. Levi, unquestioningly obedient as always, never disobeyed his foster father, and did all of this without complaint. Yet, Erwin could see that every part of him yearned for freedom.

Erwin would do anything for Levi - he would go to the moon and back, and he knew that Levi would do the same - but freedom was the one thing that they could not give each other. After all, bound to the king’s service, Erwin was far from a free man himself.

“Remember the time you fell into the pond?” Levi asked as they walked together through the gardens, pulling Erwin out of his thoughts, “You were fifteen, I think.”

“Of course I remember,” Erwin chuckled. Of course Levi would bring up the incident; he never let an opportunity to tease him pass. “It was your fault, you know. You asked for one of the water lilies, and I slipped when I was trying to reach for it.”

“It’s not my fault that you were so clumsy,” Levi retorted, “One can only hope all of that military training made you more graceful.”

“You are cruel to me, Levi. Perhaps I’ll leave you and find someone sweeter.”

“You don’t like sweets. You’d come running back to me straight away.”

“Ah, I suppose you’re right.”

“I’m always right,” Levi scoffed, giving the blond a pointed look.

This was nice, Erwin thought, strolling idly through the gardens with the prince at his arm. There were budgets to look over and drills to run through with the other knights of the king’s guard, but that could all wait. At that moment, Levi was the only person in the world who existed. Out here, they weren’t Commander or Your Highness, they were simply Erwin and Levi, and it was a simple pleasure that both of them relished.

Although, neither of them were the least bit interested in the newly bloomed flowers at that moment, regardless of how beautiful they were.

Mischievously, Levi led Erwin around a row of hedges and pulled him in for a quick kiss behind the blooms. Leaning down, Erwin curled his arms around the prince’s smaller form until the two were pressed flush against one another, savouring the way Levi seemed to fit perfectly in his embrace.

“By all the gods, you’re beautiful,” Erwin murmured into Levi’s hair, “You will ruin me one day.”

“Don’t talk like that,” Levi snapped, swatting at Erwin, “I’m not a sea siren, and you’re not that stupid.”

“Men are stupid when they’re in love.”

“But would you really do it?” Levi asked teasingly, voice a velvety purr as he let his hands trail up and down Erwin’s chest. Each fleeting touch of his fingertips left fire in their path, and it was all Erwin could do to stop himself from trembling at the mere feel of it. It was ridiculous, how the great commander of the king’s guard could be reduced to this by such light touches. It was no wonder Levi could convince men to give up their most valuable belongings. “Would you really leave me for someone sweeter, Erwin?”

“You know I would never leave you,” Erwin replied firmly, “Not for anyone or anything in all of the world.”

“I know you wouldn’t. And besides, I’d castrate you if you tried.”

“Now, Levi,” Erwin chided, “You shouldn’t take away things that you’ve yet to have a proper taste of-”

“You brute,” Levi snapped, slapping Erwin’s arm indignantly, “Shut your mouth.”

Erwin considered plucking one of the blooms from its stem and tucking it behind Levi’s ear, but thought better of it. Compared to Levi’s reserved and refined beauty, the flower would only look garish and vulgar.

Like a fine blade, Levi had a deceptively delicate appearance, but possessed a certain whiplike sharpness in both mind and behaviour. With eyes like quicksilver, hair as black as a raven’s wings, and skin as fair as polished white marble, he may as well have been one of those elusive and bewitching beauties from the lost centuries that bards sang songs of, children of the moon. But he was nothing like the fragile, pretty little porcelain doll that the king fancied him to be, and this Erwin knew as a fact from all of the secret swordsmanship lessons that he had given to the prince himself.

The king would be livid, of course, if he knew that Erwin was teaching the prince such things. But Levi had been the one to demand it of Erwin, determined to be able to fend for himself if the situation called for it. He was remarkably quick with sharp instincts and a will of iron, and he had learned in mere months what had taken Erwin years of intense training to achieve.

Levi was a natural born fighter, Erwin thought, more fit to be a soldier than to sit idly by as a porcelain doll that the king had put on display. That fire inside him burned white-hot and fierce whenever he trained with a sword. Perhaps it was that foreign blood of the eastern realms that ran through his veins. Erwin had stories of a great warrior clan from those lands, although he didn’t know how much truth there was to the tales.

“I should get back inside,” Levi murmured, breaking the silence as his fingers toyed absently with the collar of Erwin’s shirt, “The king is expecting me.”

“Must you go now?”

“You know he doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

“Surely, he can wait a few more minutes. He can’t keep you all to himself,” Erwin insisted, grabbing Levi by the wrist as he turned to leave. He pulled the prince close until he could feel his heartbeat against his own body, and he was overcome with the urge to kiss him again.

Before he could do so, Levi pulled his wrist away and disentangled himself from the commander’s grasp, shooting him a look of feigned annoyance. “Stop it, you big blond oaf.”

“Can we meet again today?”

“After tonight’s banquet,” Levi replied over his shoulder, “We can slip out once the king and his guests have fallen into a drunken stupor. I’ll go first, and then you follow after a few minutes. I’ll wait for you behind the stables.” He gave Erwin one of those coy little smirks that he knew drove the commander mad before disappearing beyond the other side of the hedges.

It was silly, Erwin thought, how the two of them - both adults - had to sneak around like this, but the awful truth that neither of them could bring themselves to speak of was what they had between them was forbidden. If the king saw Erwin so much as put his hands on Levi, he could very well be beheaded, commander of his guard or not.

The king himself had never had the desire to marry, and thus had no biological children. Levi was the only living creature who the king had ever felt the slightest stir of affection for, and was the closest thing to a child of his own that he would ever had. He kept a greedy, paranoid eye on his treasure like a dragon guarding its hoard.

But it was the same of all children in royal families. Firstborns were bred from birth to ready themselves to inherit the crown, but as for the others, they had one purpose, and one purpose alone - to serve the political interests and desires of their parents. Levi might have been the king’s only child, but no amount of affection could ever make the king willing to give up his crown. Only when he was dead and rotting underground would he ever do so. And so Levi, like those other wretched children, was little more than a bargaining piece in the grand scheme of things. A pretty jewel to exchange for land and riches and allies.

Thus, the prince was like a fruit that the king was carefully cultivating, nearing ripeness and absolutely off-limits. And once that fruit was ripe, the king would pluck it from its branch, put it in a basket, and offer it up as a gift to whomever might prove to be the most advantageous ally. Or simply whomever might offer the most gold.

That day would come soon, and Erwin dreaded it with every fibre of his being. Levi would be taken away from him, sent off to live in a distant land as the spouse of some other king, and they would never see each other again.

He might have been called _mad king_ , but the king was far from stupid. He knew what beautiful things like Levi could do to baser men, and he knew exactly how to use that power to his benefit. Neither Levi nor Erwin had ever been under the impression that the king had adopted him as his own for any other reason.


	3. Vipers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of your comments, I really appreciate it!  
> In this chapter...Eren makes his debut! Featuring: more medieval cliches and outdated medieval mindsets!

For several years now, the king had undertaken the custom of entertaining the aristocracy and foreign rulers with an elaborate banquet once a week. He spared no expense for such affairs, ensuring that only the best and most expensive delicacies were laid out for his guests, along with a selection of fine wines and music played by his most favoured minstrels. It kept the nobles fat and content, allowing them to glut themselves on an illusion of self-importance. It also gave the king an opportunity to expand the reach of his greedy fingers.

There had been a time when the great hall was always empty, and music was never heard within the stone walls of the castle, but the king had become more sociable ever since taking Levi as his son. The prince had brought light to the king’s otherwise miserly and solitary life, it seemed. At all banquets, the king always showed off his lovely son with pride, flaunting him before the other rulers in attendance. And, ever since Levi turned sixteen, the king had fallen into the habit of constantly and deliberately proclaiming the prince fit and ready for marriage.

Of course, it would take an offer of extraordinary value to convince the king to relinquish his treasure, and it had been many years indeed since Levi’s sixteenth birthday. It was all strategy - the king was a cunning man, and he knew exactly what he was doing. Beautiful, educated, and seemingly obedient, Levi was a valuable and desired commodity for as long as he remained unmarried. There would be no end to the offers and alliances other rulers would throw the king’s way in hopes of winning the prince’s hand in marriage. All the king had to do was bide his time and wait for an offer he could not refuse.

When he was a child, Erwin would sometimes be allowed to attend the banquets with his father, who, as commander of the king’s guard, was always required to be present. He would spend so much time staring in wide-eyed wonder at the lords and ladies in all their finery that sometimes, he would even forget to eat.

 _Remember, Erwin,_ his father had always told him, Y _ou must never let your guard down at a banquet. You may enjoy yourself if you like, but do not fool yourself into thinking you are safe. The king’s banquet hall is a nest of poisonous vipers._

At that time, Erwin had not understood these words. There was so much food and music and fun to be had, what could possibly be so dangerous? But many years later, now that his own presence was mandatory at these gatherings, Erwin knew very well what his father had meant. Every single man and woman inside that hall was self-serving and manipulative, and one had to keep their wits about them to ensure that they would not be unknowingly ensnared in some sort of trap.

Once, several years ago, a lord had suspected a young squire of sleeping with his wife. The lord made cheerful conversation with the squire, offering him glass after glass of wine until the unsuspecting squire was so intoxicated that he was barely aware of the words that came out of his own mouth. In front of the entire hall, the lord coaxed a confession out of the blissfully oblivious man - yes, he was indeed sleeping with the lord’s wife. Both squire and wife were taken away for punishment, and neither of them were heard from ever again.

Sometimes, men and women would excuse themselves from the table, suddenly feeling unwell, and they would be found dead hours later. Erwin knew for a fact this was often the king’s doing. If a noble displeased him, acting too uppity for his or her own good and demanding more land and power, then the king would have one of the servants slip a little bit of poison into their food or drink. This had been the fate of one of the king’s former advisors, who once dared to suggest that the king lessen the taxes that were imposed upon the common people.

Danger aside, Erwin had quickly become tired of the king’s extravagant - and, in his opinion, wasteful - banquets. He had little in common with the other nobles and could only plaster on a patient smile as he listened to them prattle on and on about their insipid little lives. None of them had so much as touched a blade in their lives, nor had they ever seen battle.

Of course, many of the nobles would eagerly shove their fair-haired daughters at him. After all, the commander of the king’s guard would make a fine husband indeed. Most of the daughters were nice enough, and some made for rather pleasant conversation, but Erwin only ever had eyes for Levi.  

Erwin slipped quietly into the banquet hall promptly before the meal was to start, as was his habit. If he arrived too early, then he’d be roped into some dreadfully boring and meaningless conversation. He carefully wove his way through the guests who were milling about and chattering excitedly amongst themselves as they found their seats. Under the glimmering veneer of their jewels and silks, though, Erwin knew them to be selfish, greedy, and sycophantic.

The king sat at the head of the table, with Levi at his side. Even though Erwin knew that Levi hated these banquets as much as he did, he couldn’t help but think that the prince looked especially resplendent dressed in his silken emerald garments. Most likely, the king had ordered those robes specially made for his son. On the king’s other side sat his guest of honour - the Emperor of Rose-Maria.

It was said that the Emperor, unsatisfied with the reach of his native realm Rose, had sent his troops into the kingdom of Maria unprovoked and without warning. His armies swept the countryside, pillaging and raping and burning everything they came across down to ash. And then he had murdered the king of Maria with his own two hands, displaying his head on a pike for all to see. Thus, he had absorbed all of Maria into his domain and declared himself Emperor of the combined territories.

Erwin was seated next to the Emperor, a great brute of a man with a voice like gravel who stank of ale. This was the first time that Erwin had ever seen the Emperor, although he had often heard people speak of him. There was a certain look to him, something that told Erwin he was dangerous. While the king might have been greedy for gold, the greed in the Emperor’s face was a different kind entirely. It was a violent thirst for power and possession and blood.

“You’re Commander Erwin Smith, aren’t you?” the Emperor asked as he tore into his food. A fleck of spittle flew from his mouth and landed on Erwin’s cheek, and Erwin calmly brushed the offending droplet away with a placid smile set on his lips.

“I am,” he replied evenly, “And I don’t even have to ask to know who _you_ are, I suppose.”

The Emperor grinned amusedly at this, appearing pleased that Erwin knew exactly who he was.

“So even the soldiers in Sina have heard of me,” he said, “Tell me, Commander Smith, what sort of things do they say about me here?”

“They say you’re a conqueror,” Erwin replied as he took a small sip of his wine - he always took care not to drink too much. It was more for show than personal enjoyment. “They say you’ve killed more than a thousand men with your own hands, and that you are to be feared.”

“And do you fear me, Commander?”

Erwin met his gaze, setting the wine glass down.

“Seeing as you’re sitting at my king’s banquet table as the guest of honour, I’d say I have no reason to fear you yet.”

The Emperor laughed, a harsh and grating sound. He clapped Erwin heartily on the back, face split in a toothy grin.

“I like you, Commander Smith,” he declared, “You’re a man who knows his business. I hear you lead your men ruthlessly and without bias. I appreciate that in a soldier. You must come to my palace and knock some sense into my troops some time.” He leaned in a little closer, his fingers closing over Erwin’s shoulder. “You and I are very similar men, Commander Smith. We’ll get on quite well, I think.”

Erwin highly doubted this. However, the Emperor’s eyes had drifted away and were now blatantly fixed on Levi, and the way he stared ravenously at the prince did not escape Erwin’s attention. He barely registered his own fists clenching and unclenching in his lap as the Emperor eyed Levi up and down as if he was more succulent a dish than the roast boar.

“Your son?” the Emperor asked the king, his gaze never leaving the prince.

“Not by blood, but by all other means, yes,” the king replied, a knowing glint in his eye.

“What is his name?”

“His name is Levi. Does he please you?”

“Oh, he does,” the Emperor leered - he was nearly salivating now, “He is truly an exquisite creature. You have raised him well.”

“Stand up, Levi,” the king ordered, “Let the Emperor have a good look at you.”

Levi obeyed, rising from his seat. His face was schooled into an expressionless mask of indifference, but Erwin knew better. He felt sick to his stomach, thinking about how Levi might feel as the Emperor’s voracious gaze swept over him.

“A little too skinny,” the Emperor chuckled, voice thick with vulgarly obvious lust,  “But no matter. It’s not as if he’ll be bearing any sons either way.”

Erwin hated the way they talked about Levi as if he was livestock with no voice of his own. But this was the way it worked here - the king was the chessmaster and Levi was his pawn to be moved whichever direction on the board that he saw fit.

As always, Levi remained silent during the exchange, holding his tongue with his eyes downcast like a good little prince, only sitting back down when the king gave him permission to do so.

“You’re very excited to meet the Emperor as well, aren’t you, little sparrow?” the king asked - this was Levi’s cue to finally speak.

“It’s an honour, my lord,” Levi said, voice flat as ever. These were lines well-rehearsed, having been spoken to countless other men before the Emperor, “I’ve always dreamt of meeting you, ever since I was young. I grew up on stories of your conquests, but you are greater than I could have possibly imagined.”

The king smiled contently, obviously pleased with Levi’s response. The Emperor, too, seemed to like those honeyed words that fell from the prince’s lips. He must have been the only one who was blissfully unaware of the insincerity behind them; they were lines carefully fed to Levi by the king himself.

As the king and the Emperor continued prattling on, their attention drifting momentarily away from Levi, Erwin felt a nudge against his foot underneath the great oak banquet table. He looked up at Levi, who was sipping his wine and staring coquettishly back. Levi nudged him again, a little harder this time, and Erwin nudged him playfully back.

“How have the drills been going as of late, Commander?” Levi asked. His gaze was like molten mercury, and it was lighting every fibre of Erwin’s being ablaze. “I was told you have some new recruits.”

“They’re promising, although young and undisciplined,” Erwin answered, taking a bite of his food, “But I’ll whip those boys into shape in no time.”

“Oh, I trust you will,” the prince replied, his voice nearly a purr, “You’re good at that, aren’t you, Commander? Whipping naughty boys into shape.”

Gods, what was Levi playing at? It was all Erwin could do from lunging out of his seat and having him then and there, on the banquet table in front of the nobles, the king, and their most esteemed guest.

As the Emperor’s gaze fell back on Levi, the prince looked abruptly away from Erwin and reached for the wine.

“Here, my lord,” he said sweetly, filling the Emperor’s goblet back to the brim, “Let me pour you some more wine.”

Grinning, the Emperor downed the freshly filled goblet, and Levi patiently poured him some more. As the Emperor became drunker and drunker, Levi sat back in his seat, watching with thinly veiled disgust.

This was all routine, of course. Levi was there to distract men and get them drunk for his father. With a pretty face to gawk at and the right amount of wine in their stomachs, men could trade away entire fortunes and think no better of it.

“I’m feeling tired, Father,” Levi said, touching the king’s arm, “May I retire?”

“Of course, my sweet little sparrow,” the king replied, content with Levi’s work for the night, “Rest well.”

Levi rose gracefully from his seat, bidding a good night to the king, and then to the Emperor, who was probably too drunk by that point to understand a single word. As he turned to leave, he cast Erwin a brief glance, and Erwin’s chest thrummed in anticipation of the clandestine meeting they would soon have behind the stables.

  


* * *

  


“You’ve kept me waiting,” Levi murmured, grabbing fistfuls of Erwin’s shirt as he jerked the taller man downwards to crash their lips together. Erwin grinned openly into the kiss, snaking his arms around Levi’s waist as they stumbled into the stable. Nobody would disturb them here, not at this hour.

“My sincerest apologies, your highness,” he smirked, “I was occupied.” When he had tried to slip away, some pigheaded noble had thwarted his attempt to leave by insisting on telling him about some new sculpture he was commissioning for his courtyard.

“Don’t call me that,” Levi snapped crossly as Erwin trailed kisses across his jawline and down his graceful, swanlike throat. Erwin knew that Levi detested being addressed by such terms, regardless if it was a peasant or lord speaking to him. Underneath his finery and titles, he was still that little orphan who had been sold into the king’s service, and he never let himself forget it. Being the prince was not a privilege - it was merely another way to serve their king. But Erwin could not resist teasing Levi a little longer.

“Is that a command, your highness?”

“Shut up and kiss me again. _That’s_ a command.”

And it was a command that Erwin was only too happy to oblige. He cupped Levi’s face in his hands, pressing their lips back together. Their tongues and teeth met clumsily, knocking against each other in a manner that was almost painful, but neither of them minded in the least. If anything, it seemed to spur Levi on as he eagerly tried to pull Erwin even closer.

With a startled yelp, Levi suddenly stumbled, tumbling backwards into the hay. He was still gripping Erwin’s shirt when he fell, dragging the commander down with him. Erwin managed to land with his forearms on either side of the prince, thus avoiding crushing him under his bulk.

Levi was staring up at him, wide-eyed and panting. When Erwin met his quicksilver gaze, he felt as if he’d been struck in the chest by a red-hot blade fresh from the forges.

“Erwin,” Levi breathed as he grasped desperately at his shoulders, “Erwin, please, I want you to have me.”

Erwin froze.

He could not take what Levi was offering to him - it was not something that a man like him would ever be permitted to have, not for a million years. Gods knew that he would accept everything the prince wanted to give him if circumstances were different, but the reality was that without his virtue, Levi was worthless to the king.

What the two of them had between them - that was already risky enough. But it was a well-known belief that no man in his right mind would ever want anyone, even someone as exquisite as Levi, if their virginity was not intact. It was a matter of personal pride - who would want damaged goods? Frankly, Erwin found the whole concept absolutely ridiculous, but he could not - and would not - ruin Levi like that. Because of it, he had never dared to take things past a certain point with the prince, regardless of how much he wanted to. Lesser men might take advantage if they had the chance, but Erwin was not that sort of man. He knew the consequences would be dire, should the king or Levi’s future spouse find out that he was not unspoiled. He had heard many stories of fathers casting their children out for those reasons, or even having them killed for the sake of honour. In fact, a princess in a neighbouring kingdom had been burned at the stake for it quite recently.

“I can’t,” Erwin murmured finally, “Levi, I’m sorry, I can’t.”

Levi gave him a long look, letting go of him.

“Do you not want me?” he asked quietly, “Have I done something to displease you?”

“Gods, no,” Erwin assured him, reaching down to gently brush the raven-black hair out of Levi’s face, “Believe me, I want you more than anything in the world. But I can’t. You know what will happen if anyone were to find out that I’d already had you before. I won’t be selfish like that, I won’t have you suffer because of my own desire.” He kissed him again, first on the lips, and then on the forehead, before letting out a long sigh. “I wish you were mine, and only mine."

“I am.”

“Levi-”

The prince pressed a finger to Erwin’s lips, silencing him.

“I don’t care who I marry or what happens to me, or whether or not we ever consummate anything at all,” he said firmly, “I am yours, Erwin, every part of me - my body, my heart, everything. Don’t you forget that.”

Erwin leaned in to kiss Levi yet again, fingers threading through ebony hair. That sort of devotion was a precious thing that Levi had entrusted to him, and he swore to cherish and guard it until he drew his last breath.

There was a sudden rustling sound, and then a loud creak as the stable door was pushed open. Levi gasped and jerked abruptly away from Erwin as if he had accidentally touched the flame on a candle, scrambling backwards in panic and sending hay flying every which way. Erwin froze, his gaze snapping upwards towards the doorway. He was prepared to make any excuse. Without hesitation, he would be willing to claim to have forced himself on the prince, to have made advances against his will - anything at all to protect Levi from punishment -

The stable boy stood alone in the doorframe, his hands full of sugar cubes. Upon seeing the prince and the commander, he dropped them. The little crystalline cubes bounced across the hay, some rolling out of sight.

“F-Forgive me, your highness, Commander,” the stable boy squeaked, face flushed bright red. “I didn’t know, I swear I didn’t mean to interrupt, I’m sorry…”

“It’s all right, Eren,” Levi said, visibly relieved that it was only the stable boy, “You’ve done nothing wrong.”

Eren? Erwin had to admit he was surprised that Levi even knew the stable boy’s name.

“Actually, I have, your highness,” Eren mumbled, looking at his feet, “I...I snuck some sugar cubes from the kitchen and thought to give them to the horses. You know, as a treat. I shouldn’t have stolen them.” His gaze snapped up to the prince, eyes wide. “P-Please don’t tell your father!”

“Neither of us will tell a soul,” Levi promised him, “As long as you don’t tell anyone that you saw the Commander and I here together.”

“I won’t, I swear!” Eren cried, bowing profusely as Levi pushed himself to his feet, brushing the hay off of his robes and out of his hair.

They left Eren scrambling to gather up the sugar cubes and headed back up to the castle together. If anyone asked, then Levi had merely gone outside for some fresh air before bed and had called on Erwin to escort him back to his chambers.

“Are you sure we can trust the boy?” Erwin asked as he helped Levi up the castle steps so he wouldn’t trip over the hem of his own robes.

“Eren?” Levi frowned, “Of course we can. He would never give us away. There’s no-one I trust more with our little secret than him.” He gave Erwin a quick peck on the cheek to reassure him. “Good night, Commander.”

“Your highness,” Erwin murmured, kissing the back of Levi’s hand. He watched the prince disappear inside the castle, lingering until he saw the window of his room illuminate with the faint glow of candlelight. Wrapping his cloak tighter around himself to ward of the night-time chill, he began walking back towards the barracks where he stayed. They would have to be more careful, he thought.

As Erwin neared the barracks, he found his mind wandering warily back to the incident of the lord and the squire in the banquet hall all those years ago. If his and Levi’s affair was discovered, there was no telling what would happen to either of them. He’d likely be thrown into a dungeon to rot, and Levi would be ripped from his arms.

They had been lucky that the person who had caught them together was only a stable boy that Levi had befriended, but their luck would not last forever. They could only test it for so long.


	4. Doll.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eh, this chapter's pretty short and I'm not too fond of it. At least I still have the "first time fic writer" excuse to fall back on, right?

The king’s table was deathly silent that morning at breakfast.

Sitting quietly at the king’s side, Levi helped himself to another portion of fruit and tried to ignore the silence. It was stifling, and he hated it. Still, despite his best efforts to think of something else, it felt that everyone else in the room - from the king to the servants busily placing more food on the table - knew something that he didn’t.

Popping a grape into his mouth and chewing with deliberate slowness, Levi cast a cool look at his adoptive father. The man was definitely withholding something from him, and he didn’t appreciate being kept in the dark. He despised being treated like some docile little doll who only needed to worry about looking pretty and pleasing others and didn’t have to be bothered with anything else. It was patronising and insulting and it made Levi want to scream.

He watched as his father casually took a bite of bread, muttering some inane comment under his breath about how it felt overbaked. He was carrying on as if nothing was different. But Levi knew better. He could see it in his father’s eyes. There was a little glimmer there, a spark of ravenous excitement that was fundamentally different from the usual dull, hungry glow. Usually, his countenance reminded Levi of a vulture, but now, he had changed into a bird of prey.

The king reached for another piece of bread, and Levi could bear it no longer.

“Father,” he said sharply, shattering the silence. A servant nearby jumped, nearly startled into dropping the tray he was holding. “You’re hiding something from me, and I wish you wouldn’t.”

“I don’t intend to hide anything from you, Levi,” the king replied evenly through bites of bread, completely unaffected by Levi’s tone, “Especially when it concerns you directly. I was only waiting for the opportune moment to tell you, I find it’s best to receive news on a full stomach. Everything’s always much more pleasant that way, don’t you think?”

“I’m not a child,” Levi retorted, annoyed by the fact that his father was not taking him seriously in the least, “I don’t need to be coddled. If you have something to say to me, then say it.”

The king finally set down his food, and after a sip of wine, he cleared his throat.

“Leave us,” he ordered, waving dismissively at the servants, “I wish to speak to the prince alone.”

The servants obeyed, halting their activity immediately and hurrying out the door in single file. Levi almost wished they’d stay - the king never spoke to him alone unless it was some sort of delicate situation. How he despised those conversations.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Levi asked, taking a bite out of a shiny, blood red apple. The fruit was exceptionally sweet, but it did little to smooth out the unease that tugged at his chest. “Is it so important that you had to send the servants away?”

“Don’t look so sour, it’ll ruin your face. It’s happy news, after all,” the king said, voice eerily calm.

“What is it?”

“The Emperor was quite taken with you last night. He asked me for your hand in marriage.”

Levi put the apple down. All of a sudden, he no longer felt hungry.

“I hope you told him no,” he finally managed to say, but he knew it was a foolish thing to hope. If the king had refused the Emperor, then he wouldn’t have ordered the servants to let them speak in private.

“He has promised me five hundred chests of gold,” the king replied. Greed glimmered like red-hot embers behind the black pupils of his eyes, and Levi felt sick. “I accepted the offer, of course.”

“Five hundred chests of gold?” Levi repeated, and he could not stop his voice from shaking now, “Is that my worth, my lord? You would barter me for _gold?_ ”

“Marriage is a powerful tool, little sparrow,” the king smiled, reaching out to stroke his son’s cheek. There was no affection in the gesture, and Levi recoiled immediately. “It’s not just the gold, you know. If you marry the Emperor, your union would bring my kingdom and his empire together. Just imagine, Levi. Combined, our army would be two hundred thousand men strong. And we will ask Commander Smith to help lead those men. We will be unstoppable.”

“Did you not think to speak with me first?” Levi asked, voice rising in anger, “Am I to have no say in this matter?”

“Don’t be silly. The Emperor will make a fine match, you won’t find another man more powerful or wealthy. You have no reason to object to this marriage.”

“I refuse,” Levi bit out, “I will not marry him.”

The king’s expression darkened.

“I am ordering you to.”

“I have obeyed every single order you have ever given me since I was sold into your service!” Levi screamed, standing up with such force that he knocked his chair over, the wooden frame clattering loudly against the stone floor, “I have lied for you, I have pretended for you, I have made fools of countless men and myself for you. I have served you more faithfully than any other man or woman inside of this castle, and I will do any other task you bid me, I will slit my own throat if you command it. But _this_ \- you cannot ask this of me, my lord. I will not let you sell me to that pig.”

The king struck Levi across the face with such force that the prince almost lost his balance. He stumbled back, a hand pressed to his burning cheek, staring at his father with wide eyes. He was left reeling from the shock of it - although the king doted on him, he rarely showed him any real warmth, and even if he had adopted Levi as his own, he treated him more as a pet than a son. Despite all this, however, the king had never raised a hand against him until now, and Levi had foolishly thought that maybe some small part of the king really did love him more dearly than his gold. The betrayal stung worse than the blow itself.

“Stupid, ungrateful, selfish boy!” the king shouted, “Who put those clothes on your back!? Who put that food on your plate!? I took you, a worthless little servant boy, under my wing and made a prince of you! And this is my thanks!?”

“Father, I beg of you,” Levi pleaded, and he was struggling furiously to stop himself from bursting into angry tears. He was trembling with rage, but it was no use shouting at the king. “Don’t make me do this. You have always been good to me, and I am nothing but grateful for everything you have done for my sake. But if you have ever felt any affection for me, your only child, even if not by blood - you would spare me from this. I have never asked anything of you, and I will never ask for anything more.”

“Oh, my sweet little sparrow,” the king murmured, his face softening, “It is true, you have served me well. But you knew this day would come, didn’t you? I have spent so many years raising you to be the perfect spouse.” He reached out to clasp the prince’s hands tightly in his own. “You won’t be young forever, you know. Soon enough, you’ll lose your beauty, and no man will want to so much as look at you. You’re as ripe a fruit as you’ll ever be. If we wait any longer, you’ll spoil. I admit that I should not have struck you, but this is the final service I require of you, Levi. I expect you will do as I say, just as you always have. Do you understand?”

Slowly, Levi nodded. It didn’t matter what he said or did. He knew his father well - nothing could pull the king free from the lure of gold, and he could do nothing but follow his orders.

“May I be excused, father?”

“You may.”

Stiffly, Levi pulled his hand out of the king’s grasp. He exited the room without so much as a second glance back, leaving the king alone with what remained of breakfast. Just thinking about his unfinished apple made him sick. 

 

* * *

 

Erwin knew something was wrong the moment their blades met.

Levi had gone at him with a ferocity unlike anything that he had ever seen before - his movements were filled with rage and every muscle in his body was pulled so taut that it looked like at any minute, he would snap like a bowstring that had been pulled too far back. He was near hysterical as he swung at Erwin again and again, and the commander found himself struggling to keep up.

Although they had to be done in secret, their sparring sessions were always of mutual benefit. It helped Levi learn and hone his techniques, kept Erwin’s own swordsmanship skills sharp, and gave both of them an outlet where they could blow off some steam while spending time together.

Levi struck at his chest with the dulled training sword, and Erwin barely had time to block the blow before another strike came at him from the left. He parried the attack, but Levi shoved fiercely back, nearly knocking the blade out of his hand. The prince was absolutely unrelenting in his assault, offering no quarter and refusing to give Erwin sufficient time to react between strikes.

Usually, Levi was agile and graceful, with a certain measured elegance to his fighting style. He was naturally talented, after all, completely unmatched by any of the other soldiers under Erwin’s command. Not a single one of those men could fight on par with him like Levi could. In fact, Erwin was sure that if they continued the swordsmanship lessons and sparring sessions at their current rate, then the prince would surpass him in skill soon enough.

But there was none of that natural grace evident in his movements now. He was fighting like a cornered animal, and it worried Erwin.

“Levi, stop,” he finally said, catching the prince’s wrist firmly as he swung his sword forward again, “You’ll hurt yourself.”

“Don’t you dare patronise me,” Levi snarled, angrily jerking his wrist free from Erwin’s grip, “If you say something like that to me again, I swear to all the gods that I’ll bash your brains out.” The look of concern on Erwin’s face caused him to relent, and he stepped down and lowered the training sword with a scowl. Frustration still radiated from every pore of his body as he did so. Erwin dropped his own sword to the ground, and he reached out to run a soothing hand down the back of his beloved prince’s neck.

“What’s wrong, Levi?” the commander asked as looked his lover in the eyes, “What happened?” Levi was trembling, eyes frightenly hollow. His anger had dissipated, only to be replaced by despair, and Erwin feared the worst.

“My father has promised me to the Emperor,” Levi finally told him in a small voice, “The Emperor will give him five hundred chests of gold and an army. We will be wed in a week’s time.”

Erwin could feel his heart sinking upon those words. Both of them knew this would happen one day, but it didn’t do anything to relieve the icy feeling that clenched inside of his chest, bitterly cold and vice-like. There was nothing Erwin could do now. He would fight for Levi if he could, but he had sworn an oath of loyalty to his king and he couldn’t defy him, not without being thrown in prison or perhaps even executed. Even worse, Levi could be punished for it.

“I don’t want to leave here,” Levi whispered, “I don’t want to leave _you_.”

“Don’t be afraid,” Erwin murmured, pulling Levi closer to enfold him protectively in a tender embrace. Levi instantly melted into his arms, burying his face in his chest. “You’re strong, Levi. You always have been, and you’ll manage well enough. I’ll write to you every day and I’ll think of you constantly. We won’t be apart, not in the way that matters. We’ll see each other again, don’t worry. If there’s an alliance being made, then there will be plenty of political visits.”

He knew his words would be of little to comfort Levi. Words did nothing, they were absolutely useless. But they were all he could give to him. How Erwin wished he could do something more for him, anything to save him from this terrible fate, but what could he do? In the first place, their relationship was forbidden, and he could very well make things worse for Levi.

“Don’t forget, Erwin,” Levi said quietly, seeming to sense the feeling of helplessness that had overcome him as he pressed his lips to the commander’s, “No matter what happens, I am always yours.”

Erwin could taste Levi’s desperation as they kissed, and he could feel the fear in his fingertips as he grasped at the front of his shirt with shaking hands. He felt sick to his stomach thinking about how the king was acting as if Levi was little more than an object to be bought and sold at the whim of its owner.

Most of all, Erwin feared how the Emperor would treat Levi once they were wed. He was a man with a terrifyingly broad capacity for cruelty, that was apparent in his brutal conquests, and Erwin had surmised plenty on his character during the banquet. He would stop at nothing to get what he wanted, and even someone as strong as Levi could be broken by him before long. Erwin didn’t even want to think about what the prince would be subject to as the Emperor’s spouse.

Was he really going to give Levi up so easily? Were some meaningless words the best he could offer? Why had he resigned himself so quickly?

Erwin was furious with his own hesitation - Levi had devoted himself to him even despite the circumstances, and if he was too afraid of the consequences to lift a finger to help the prince, then he was a man completely unworthy of him.

He didn’t know what he could do yet. All he knew was that would have to risk everything - but the truth was that he lived and breathed for Levi. What else did he have to lose?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I attempted to be metaphorical with the fruit Levi was eating at breakfast. I don't think it worked, lol.


	5. Joust.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not actually sure if anybody is even reading this, lol, but another much-loved character makes an appearance today!

News of the prince’s betrothal spread rapidly throughout the kingdom like wildfire. The king’s only child was to be wed to the Emperor of Rose-Maria, and an alliance would thus be forged. It was all anyone seemed to be able to talk about, from the servants to the nobles, and even the townspeople.

To commemorate the occasion, the king ordered for a royal joust, in which the finest knights of both Sina and Rose-Maria were expected to participate. It was to be a lavish event, with hundreds of guests present to watch the competition. The king did not hold jousts often, and the castle buzzed with excitement in the days leading up to it. The knights began practising constantly in the training yard, the kitchens bustled with activity, and servants ran to and fro to carry out the preparations.

Erwin did not possess a particularly competitive spirit, but he would proudly wear the prince’s colours and serve as his champion. It was still beyond him, though, how pitting knights from two different kingdoms against each other was meant to build friendship and goodwill between the realms. When a knight’s pride was on the line, goodwill was often the last thing on his mind.

But most of all, Erwin detested the very occasion that the joust was being held for. Why should there be any revelries when a young man was about to be traded off to that despicable Emperor in exchange for some gold? It disgusted him to no end.

Levi might have been called a prince, but the truth was that he was still very much a slave to be bought and sold like chattel at the whim of his master.

Still, Erwin trained and practised from dusk until dawn every day leading up to the joust as was expected of him. Even if the whole thing left a bitter taste in his mouth, he could not refuse to participate, especially as commander of the royal guard. It would dishonour his king, and it would dishonour Levi. The least he could do was win the tournament in the prince’s name.

On the morning of the joust, the castle grounds became inundated with guests from both Sina and Rose-Maria, and even from other realms that Erwin could barely even pronounce the names of. Countless lords and ladies had arrived to watch the joust and wish the Emperor and his spouse-to-be a happy and prosperous marriage. In other words, they were there to kiss arses and lick boots in hopes of currying favour.

It was uncommon for a knight to be accompanied a squire not of noble blood, but Levi had insisted that he give Eren the stable boy a chance. Naturally, Erwin did not have it in himself to refuse any requests from Levi, and that was how he found himself standing awkwardly in his tent as Eren tried frantically to help him into his armour, fumbling clumsily with the buckles and metal plates.

“I’m sorry, Commander, I’ve never done this before,” Eren spluttered apologetically as the breastplate slipped through his arms and clattered noisily to the ground. That was stating the obvious; both of them knew that Eren was in fact terribly ill-suited for the task. He spent all day shovelling manure, setting out hay, and grooming horses, he didn’t even know where to start when it came to handling armour.

Most of the other knights were already suited up and ready with the help of their more experienced squires, whereas Erwin didn’t even have half of his armour on yet. At least Eren was trying, he supposed, even if the two of them were getting quite a few odd looks.

“I can manage on my own,” Erwin sighed, “Just...go make sure my horse is ready.”

“Yes, Commander!” Eren shouted, scrambling off in earnest to do as told. The boy had heart, even if he had no idea what he was doing. Perhaps that was why Levi was so fond of him. But even if Eren was utterly inexperienced in all other duties of a squire, he knew how to handle horses, and Erwin was sure that he would see to it that his mount was in top condition for the joust.

At the boy’s departure, Erwin set to work putting his armour on by himself with a begrudging exhalation of breath It was actually faster without Eren’s assistance, since there was no longer an extra set of bumbling hands getting in the way. Despite his best efforts, the young stable boy had been doing more harm than help.

“How’s Eren doing?” came Levi’s voice, and Erwin turned to see the prince entering his tent. He was dressed in black - a colour wholly inappropriate for a newly betrothed prince attending what was meant to be a joyous event to celebrate his upcoming marriage - but Erwin suspected that Levi’s choice in wardrobe had been deliberate, a small act of rebellion. “He is being quite helpful to you, I hope?”

“He’s a little nervous,” Erwin shrugged as he finally affixed the final piece of armour, “I sent him off to prepare my horse. I’m still not sure what you were thinking, though, asking me to make him my squire.”

“Give him more credit,” Levi replied evenly, “Eren’s a good lad, and I want to give him the chance to have a better life. Being squire to the commander of the king’s guard - that’ll get him much further than staying as a stable boy. Maybe he’ll be able to have some land and a horse of his own one day.”

“You dote on him far too much,” Erwin chuckled, “I didn’t know you were so sentimental about that sort of thing.”

“Just give him a chance, Erwin,” Levi insisted, “He learns quickly, you’ll see. But that’s not the only reason I wanted to see you. Here…” He produced a silken handkerchief of white and blue, tying it neatly around Erwin’s arm. These were the prince’s colours, and Erwin would wear the token with pride.

“There,” Levi smiled, stepping back observe his handiwork, “I did the embroidery along the border myself, you know.”

“I know you did. It’s beautiful.”

Levi scowled.

“It’s absolutely terrible. Don’t try to flatter me, Erwin, we both know that it looks like it was done by a monkey. Embroidery was never my forte. But either way, you’re my chosen champion, so you’d best make me look good.”

“I wouldn’t dream of failing you, your highness,” Erwin replied, clasping Levi’s hand in his own and kissing its back. He wished dearly that he could kiss him on the lips, too - but there were too many people around and he didn’t want to risk being seen.

“I must go now,” Levi murmured, although he seemed reluctant to pull his hand away from Erwin’s. “Good luck, Commander.”

The prince cast Erwin one final look before ducking back out of the tent and disappearing.

Once the prince was gone, Erwin sighed deeply. The small moment he had shared with Levi had been fleeting, and not nearly as private as he wished it could have been. Ever since the prince’s betrothal, the two of them had been given fewer and fewer chances to see each other. Every now and then, there was still the occasional secret meeting in the gardens or behind the stables where they would exchange hurried kisses and hasty promises that each was still devoted to the other. But it wasn’t enough, and it pained Erwin to know that Levi was slipping out of his grasp while there was nothing that he could do about it.

He wished there was something he could do to stop this marriage, something that would change the king’s mind and cause him to call off the betrothal. But the king was blinded by his own love for gold, and that love apparently trumped even the affection he held for his adopted son. Erwin had sworn to himself that he would not give Levi up without a fight, but his options were direly limited and as the prince’s wedding day drew nearer, the situation seemed only to increase in hopelessness.

These thoughts continued to plague the commander as he stepped out of the tent, although the unexpected presence of a complete stranger standing expectantly outside was enough to jolt him back into the real world.

The stranger was tall - even taller than Erwin - and had hair the colour of hay with a scruffy beard and moustache to match. He looked as if he’d been waiting for Erwin to emerge, and upon catching sight of him, instantly extended his hand for a shake.

“Mike Zacharius,” the bearded man said, introducing himself straight away. “I’m your first opponent today, it seems.”

Erwin took his hand and shook it firmly. It was awfully decent of this Mike fellow to make some formalities before the joust. Apparently, there were still knights out there who adhered to that ancient code of honour.

“Commander Erwin Smith.”

“I know,” Mike replied, “I’ve heard about you.”

“Good things, I hope?”

“Naturally.”

But the way Mike spoke and carried himself gave Erwin the distinct impression that he was not foreign, and certainly not born a citizen of Rose-Maria as the situation might suggest.

“Forgive me for my curiosity, but you look local,” he remarked, and when Mike’s lip quirked upwards in amusement, Erwin knew that his inference had been spot-on.

“You’re absolutely right,” Mike admitted, “Born and bred in Sina - the western end. Was a sellsword until I wandered beyond the borders out of sheer boredom, and that was when I was picked up by some of the Emperor’s men. I thought I’d be put to death for trespassing onto royal territory or something, but turns out they even make sellswords into knights in Rose-Maria. So that’s my employment now. Funny world, isn’t it? As for you...you’re of noble blood through and through. I can smell it.”

“Smell?” Erwin repeated, staring blankly at Mike.

Mike nodded, and his nose seemed to twitch the slightest out of reflex.

“That’s not all I can smell,” he continued, a sly grin crawling its way onto his features, “I can smell little Prince Levi all over you, too.”

Erwin stiffened, his expression hardening. The air around them suddenly felt stifling, and he felt a dull panic begin to swell inside of his chest. What the hell was Mike playing at? The smug, knowing look on his face was infuriating, and he wondered if the man was about to blackmail him. Was he going to ask him to let him win the joust in exchange for keeping silent? Was that why he’d approached him in the first place?

“Relax,” Mike told him nonchalantly, seeming to sense Erwin’s anger, “I’m not going to tell anyone. What you and the prince get up to is none of my business, and it makes no difference to me. You just strike me as a good man, so I wanted to give you a warning, that’s all.”

“What sort of warning?”

“I’ve known the Emperor for nearly a decade now,” Mike said, lowering his voice and leaning in a little closer. “I’ve seen the things he’s capable of, the man’s a downright monster. He’s not to be trifled with, and he won’t appreciate someone else touching his things. If he finds out about your affair, he’s not just going to want your head on a spike to display at his front gates. He’ll kill the prince, too, and he’ll do it slowly and publicly - tie him up like an animal for the whole empire to see, cut him into ribbons, drag him through the streets until he bleeds out.”

Erwin felt sick to his stomach. He withdrew quickly away from Mike, who was regarding him with a sympathetic look.

“I’m not trying to scare you or threaten you, Erwin. I’m just telling you that you need to be careful around the Emperor. I don’t want to see either you or Prince Levi getting into any trouble with him.”

“I appreciate your concern,” Erwin finally said, and he wasn’t sure how he was managing to keep his voice level. “Thank you for the warning. I’ll see you on the field.”

Mike nodded solemnly.

“I look forward to our match,” he replied, “Best of luck to you, my friend.”

When Erwin strode out onto the jousting field, helmet tucked under his arm, Eren was waiting for him with his horse, shield, and lance. His squire hastily affixed the metal coronel to the tip of the lance as Erwin put on his helmet and mounted his white stallion, shield strapped to one arm. Once the lance was ready, Eren passed it up to him.

“Thank you, Eren, you’ve done well,” he said, and the boy beamed at the praise. “Have water ready for my horse for when the bout is over.”

“Yes, Commander!” Eren cried, and he was off like a jackrabbit to do as told, eager to please.

Erwin rode out onto his end of the field, his horse tossing its head proudly. He was met with applause and cheers, but there was only one member of the audience who he cared to see. After a quick scan of the crowd, he spotted Levi seated upon the dais next to his husband-to-be. Erwin couldn’t help but tighten his grip on the reins, fists clenching when he saw one of the Emperor’s hands resting on Levi’s thigh, a little higher than might seem appropriate. Levi was clearly uncomfortable, but when his gaze met Erwin’s, his expression seemed to brighten a little.

As the trumpets signalled for the jousters to get into position, Erwin flipped the visor of his helmet down over his eyes. He could see his opponent through the slats in the metal - Mike upon a chestnut-coloured mount.

The trumpets sounded out again, calling for the joust to begin. Erwin snapped the reins hard, and his restless stallion broke immediately into a gallop.

As he and Mike charged towards each other, he tightened his grip on his lance, calculating the distance until impact. The other knight remained steady, and Erwin acknowledged that he had been given a competent foe. He readied his shield and leaned forward, egging his horse to move even faster. Adrenaline pounded through his veins, and the sound of hooves thundering across the earth was all he could hear in that moment -

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Emperor’s hand move from Levi’s thigh to his rear. The prince flinched visibly, and Erwin faltered. He couldn’t tear his gaze away, he couldn’t force his eyes back towards his opponent.

Mike’s lance struck him square in the chest, knocking him clean off of his horse.

“ _Erwin!_ ” Levi screamed as he leapt out of his seat, eyes wide.

And then Erwin found himself on his back in the dirt, a fierce, white-hot pain jolting up and down his right arm. The prince rushed down the dais and onto the field, ignoring the angry shouts of the Emperor and the clamour of the crowd. Panic had seemed to grip the audience; although it wasn’t uncommon for a knight to fall during a joust, this was the commander of the king’s guard. He wasn’t supposed to be beaten so easily.

“Oh, gods, Erwin,” Levi breathed as he dropped down onto his knees next to the commander, cradling his head in his lap, “Erwin, are you all right?”

“My arm,” Erwin croaked. “I landed on it. I can’t move it, I think it’s dislocated.” The damage went further than that, though - Erwin couldn’t see clearly, his head was spinning and his helmet obscured his vision, but Levi’s face was as pale as a sheet. What the prince could see and he couldn’t was the splinter of wood that had broken off of Mike’s lance, it was as wide as his hand and had gone straight through the hinges of his armour, piercing his arm just past his shoulder. By the looks of it, the fragment had torn through muscle and had lodged itself deep enough to reach bone.

“Someone help him!” Levi shouted, “Get a medic, he’s hurt!”

Mike immediately dismounted his horse, threw off his helmet, and ran over to help him up. Eren was hurrying onto the field towards them as well, bringing a medic with him. Erwin accepted Mike’s assistance, allowing him to help Levi pull him to his feet.

Suddenly, the Emperor was there, face twisted in fury. He grabbed Levi by the wrist, pulling him roughly away from Erwin. Erwin nearly forgot about the overwhelming pain in his right arm as his vision went red with rage. He stumbled forward, intending to make a swing at the Emperor, but the medic placed a firm hand on his shoulder before he could lift his uninjured arm.

“Come with me, Commander,” the medic said, “I’ll patch you up.” He then looked to Levi, whose wide-eyed gaze was still fixed on Erwin despite the Emperor’s bruising grip on his wrist. “Not to worry, your highness. He’ll be taken care of.”

With hazy vision, Erwin tried to look back over his shoulder at Levi as the medic ushered him back to his tent, but the Emperor was already leading him away.


	6. Arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all of the reviews left for the last chapter, I had no idea there'd be so many! You're all lovely and I hope wonderful things happen to each and every one of you all throughout the week~ I feed off of your feedback and reactions so thanks again for the sustenance, heehee.
> 
> As usual, this chapter is unbeta'ed, so please excuse any mistakes that I missed!

“Impudent little snake,” the Emperor snarled, throwing Levi against the wall of the corridor. Levi cried out as he collided with the stone, his fingers scrabbling against the cold surface. “How dare you make a scene like that!”

“The Commander was injured,” Levi protested angrily as he righted himself, his head still spinning from the impact he’d made against the stone wall. He was trying to disregard the soreness in his body - he was sure the emperor had bruised him in multiple places. “Did you expect me to sit idly by and do nothing?”

At the moment, Levi could care less about the Emperor’s damaged pride and flaring temper. Erwin had been hurt - badly, by the looks of it - and Levi should be at his side, not back inside the castle arguing with his betrothed. He knew the man was easily angered and that he was pushing his luck by retorting so boldly, but he would not grovel or beg for forgiveness for the Emperor’s satisfaction.

The Emperor’s expression was thunderous as he advanced upon the prince, eyes wild with unbridled rage. This was a man who had subjugated thousands and was used to them all bending at the knee for him, and Levi’s refusal to submit infuriated him. The prince found himself backed against the wall as he tried to put as much distance as he could between them, but the Emperor reached out to seize a fistful of his robes, clenching the fabric tightly within his fist. He jerked Levi back towards him, pulling him close so that their bodies were nearly flush against each other.

“What does it matter whether or not he was injured?” the Emperor spat viciously, “Did you mean to insult me with your disobedience?”

“That was not my intention, my lord.”

”Are you in love with him? Is that what this is about!?”

Levi froze at the sudden accusation. Had he been that obvious? Even if he had no regrets about what he had done, it had been foolish of him to leap to Erwin’s aid like that. He’d revealed too many of his own feelings to the Emperor and all of the other spectators present. His heart was hammering furiously in his chest, but he tried to keep his features neutral, terrified of giving Erwin away. If the Emperor knew about what he and Erwin had between them, there was no telling what he would do to the commander.

“I’ve known Commander Smith since I was a boy,” he finally said, “It is only natural to worry about your friends.”

“Don’t give me that shit,” the Emperor growled, and he grabbed Levi by the shoulders, shaking him roughly, “He’s fucked you before, hasn’t he, you little whore?”

“Commander Smith is a man of honour,” Levi ground out, “He would never act with such impropriety. Your accusations insult both him and me, my lord. No gentleman would make those kinds of suggestions.”

“I assure you, I am no gentleman, and if I find out that you have been _spoiled_ ,” the Emperor warned, his grip on Levi’s shoulders tightening painfully, “I will have him drawn and quartered, I tell you, and you will _watch_.”

“Get your hands off of me,” Levi snarled, shoving the Emperor away from himself. He was not the docile little doll that the king liked to think he was, he had fire in him, and those flames were flaring dangerously upwards now. “I may be betrothed to you, but I am the prince of Sina, and you will extend to me the respect that I am owed.”

“You’re no prince,” the Emperor sneered, an vile grin spreading across his features, “You are _nothing_. Your idiot father sold you to me, you are mine to do with as I please. Don’t even think of trying to make a fool of me with your disobedience ever again.”

“I assure you, my lord, I would not waste my time trying to embarrass you. You do a fine enough job of that on your own already.”

“You bitch!” the Emperor roared, and he struck Levi in the face so hard that he knocked him to the ground, “I’ll have you whipped for that!” He bent down and grabbed a fistful of raven locks, jerking Levi back to his feet.

Levi thrashed and fought furiously, but the Emperor’s grip on his hair was painfully unrelenting. The fact of matter was that the Emperor was much bigger than Levi, and Levi could not fight him with physical strength alone.

“Let go of me!” Levi shouted, clawing frantically at the Emperor’s hand as the man tugged viciously at his hair, “How dare you!?”

The Emperor dragged the screaming prince out of the corridor and into the great hall by his hair, ignoring his struggles. When Levi saw where the Emperor was dragging him to, his struggles only increased. At the end of the hall, there was a whipping post where unruly servants had once been punished; however, it had been unused for well over three decades. A few servants who had been preparing the hall for dinner froze as they watched the scene, too afraid to interfere and risk incurring the wrath of the Emperor themselves.

The Emperor grabbed Levi’s wrists and fastened them to the wooden post with the ropes that had been affixed there, even as Levi thrashed. “You!” he shouted at one of the servants who was watching things unfold with a look of horror on his face, “Fetch me a whip!” Terrified, the servant scampered off to carry out the command.

“You will learn to respect me,” the Emperor spat out, his hot breath skirting across Levi’s neck, “I will be your husband, and you will _never_ defy me again.”

The servant had returned with a whip from the stables, and the Emperor snatched it out of his hands. He grabbed two fistfuls of the velveteen fabric of Levi’s robes and pulled, tearing the garment apart to bare his back.

“Such pretty skin,” the Emperor leered, and Levi could feel himself flushing with humiliation under his disgusting gaze, “It is a shame to ruin it, but it would be a greater shame to let you get away with your insolence. Let this be a lesson to you.”

“What is the meaning of this?”

The king entered the hall abruptly, solemnly taking in the scene before him. The Emperor spared him a nonchalant glance before giving the whip an experimental crack upon the ground.

“My intended disobeyed me, and he will be punished for it.”

“Father,” Levi protested, trying to appeal to the king as he tried to turn his face so he could look him in the eye, “Father, I’ve done nothing wrong. You know me, I would never do anything to shame you.” He was so outraged by the whole thing that he almost wished he could cry, but he would not give the Emperor that satisfaction.

The king looked from the Emperor and then back to Levi, his expression completely unreadable. Finally, he stepped back, nodding towards the Emperor.

“Carry on.”

Levi’s heart sank. He should have known better than to think that the king would take his side, even after all of the years he had spent as his son. After all, he had practically sold him to this monster of a man. As long as the king got his gold, then what happened to Levi from here on out was of no concern to him. Levi trembled against the post, turning away so he wouldn’t have to see the wicked leer on the Emperor’s face.

Even though he had braced himself for it, Levi could not hold back a cry as the whip bit into the skin of his back. He couldn’t say that he was a stranger to the feeling, as he had once been subjected to the lash of the slaver’s whip when he was a child. But it had been years since then and the white-hot pain hit him fast and hard. The Emperor certainly wasn’t holding back, and it served as a bitter reminder of what he was, what he had always been - a slave at the mercy of his master, livestock bought and sold with money, an object with no right to a free will of his own, a possession.

Agony tore through him as the whip struck him again, leaving long red welts upon his back. Blow upon blow fell against his exposed flesh until he felt like he was being ripped into pieces, hot blood streaming sluggishly down his back. Each blow hurt worse than the last, and before he knew it, he had screamed himself hoarse as the servants watched in stunned silence. None of them dared to raise a single word of protest.

The king was watching, too, but the look on his face was one of utter indifference.

Levi felt his knees buckle underneath him as he sagged limply against the whipping post like a rag doll. He no longer had the strength or voice to stand upright or to let out so much as a whimper. Still, the Emperor did not relent, lashing the whip against Levi’s back yet again. The flesh had been beaten raw and torn open a dozen times over by now, and Levi knew that he would bear scars from it for the rest of his life. As the sharp, metallic scent of blood filled the hall, he let his mind wander, trying to force himself to think about anything but the pain.

He thought of Erwin.

 

* * *

  
  
Erwin awoke in his own bed, vision groggy. His right arm still throbbed terribly, and it was the insistent ache that had finally dragged him out of his slumber. Groaning, he forced himself to sit up. He remembered the medic giving him an herbal tonic to put him to sleep the minute they had arrived at the infirmary, and he wasn’t sure how long that he had been out of it. He didn’t even remember how he had gotten to his own quarters.

“You’re awake!” Eren said brightly, and Erwin almost jumped. He hadn’t even noticed the young stable boy - now squire - sitting at his bedside. “Here, drink this.” Eren shoved a cup of water into his hands, and he drank gratefully. He was absolutely parched, so he downed the entire cup in a single gulp. To his surprise, Mike was there as well, sitting across from Eren on the other side of the bed.

“Don’t you have any ale?” he muttered, and Eren shook his head.

“Alcohol is dehydrating, and you’re already dehydrated enough as is. The medic said that you’re to stay away from ale and wine until you have recovered sufficiently. Until then, you have to drink lots of water.”

“How long have I been asleep?” he asked, lowering the cup.

“Only about a day, sir,” Eren replied as he took the cup to refill it, “Your injuries were extensive, although your condition has been stable for a while now. The doctor let us move you from the infirmary to your own quarters.”

Had he really been hurt that badly? It hurt, but it didn’t feel that serious. Erwin instinctively looked down at his arm, and his heart immediately stopped inside his chest.

It was gone.

There was only a stump there, wrapped in bandages soaked with blood and pus. The commander stared numbly at it in disbelief, bile rising in his throat. When had this happened? Hadn’t he just felt it a moment ago? This couldn’t be right, it had to be some sort of sick dream...

“My arm,” he finally managed to say, “But...But I _felt_ it, it was there...”

“The medic said that might happen,” Eren murmured, looking away, “He said you might experience phantom pains, as if...as if your arm was still there.”

“The medic thought it best to remove your arm entirely,” Mike explained slowly, speaking for the first time since Erwin had regained consciousness. “The bone had been shattered so badly that it would have been impossible to set, and there were too many splinters of wood lodged inside of the muscles and veins. The risk for fatal infection was too high, it was almost a certainty. I’m sorry, my friend, this is my doing-”

“Don’t,” Erwin interrupted weakly, “It wasn’t your fault. It was my own carelessness. I was...distracted during the joust.”

How could he continue to serve as commander of the king’s guard like this? How could he ride a horse? How could he hold both a shield and sword? How could he protect Levi? He couldn’t even hold the prince with two arms in this state. He was useless now, bloody useless, and he had failed as both a knight and as Levi’s lover. There was no way on earth a one-armed man could defend him against the Emperor, and chances were that Levi wouldn’t even want him any longer like this.

Erwin couldn’t help but recall how Levi’s wrist had been caged in the Emperor’s grasp, and the furious expression on the Emperor’s face. Dread seeped through every pore of his body as he thought of what the Emperor might have done to Levi, but still, he had to know.

“Eren, where is the prince? What happened after the joust?”

The boy hesitated, clearing his throat uncomfortably.

“Well…Commander...”

“Go on, Eren. Tell me.”

Eren looked away again, his shoulders sagging. “The Emperor had him whipped in front of all of the servants,” he mumbled, “And then he locked him in his chambers. He’s not to be let out, or to have anything to eat until the Emperor gives his consent.”

Erwin could feel the rage surging through his veins, his remaining fist clenching so tightly that his blunt fingernails bit into the flesh of his palm. How could the emperor treat Levi like this - like an animal? He was shaking with anger now, and he longed for nothing more than to tear the Emperor apart limb from limb, whether or not he was missing a limb of his own.

“And the king said nothing?” he demanded.

Eren shook his head.

“The king allowed it,” the young squire replied sullenly, “I-I don’t understand. If I it was my son, I wouldn’t have been able to sit back and let it happen. Prince Levi has always been kind to me, he doesn’t deserve any of this.”

“Eren and I were allowed to see the prince briefly not long before you woke up,” Mike continued, “We informed him of your condition, and he’s asked Eren to keep an eye on you and make sure you’re getting rest. He wants you to focus on a smooth recovery and not worry about him.”

“How am I supposed to do that!?” Erwin shouted, his anger finally exploding forth from his veins, “How can I _not_ worry!?” He lashed out with his only arm, viciously knocking the bedside table across the room.

“Commander, please calm down!” Eren implored, “Don’t stress yourself-”

“That bastard’s had the prince _whipped_ and you expect me to calm down!? Do you even hear what you’re saying!? I don’t care how big his empire is, I’ll kill him if he puts his hands on the prince again!”

“Don’t do anything stupid, Erwin,” Mike warned him, “You do realise that acting out will only put Prince Levi in danger, don’t you? Remember what I told you. Believe it or not, the prince was let off easy. The Emperor may be a brute, but he isn’t stupid. If he gets the impression that your affair hasn’t been put to a stop, he’ll do much worse. This may sound harsh, but I know the Emperor. My advice to you would be to stop seeing the prince, not just for his sake, but for your own as well.”

“You’re right,” Erwin sighed, sagging back down against the pillow. “I’m sorry. I lost my temper. If the two of you could please just...leave me for a few minutes. I’d like to be alone for a while.” He was tired, frustrated, humiliated, and in pain, and the last thing he needed was both Eren and Mike bearing witness to his shame.

He wished he could just die here and now. There was little he could have done for Levi, and now, without his right arm, he could do even less. He was no longer worthy of the prince’s company, and he wasn’t fit to be a knight, let alone a commander. What was the point to keep living like this with no honour?

Erwin usually prided himself on being able to act rationally and keep his emotions in check, but he couldn’t manage that now. It felt as if just a moment ago, he’d held Levi in both of his arms. And now, he would never be able to do that again. He’d lost an arm, he’d lost Levi, and he wasn’t going to get either of them back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Er...I just realised this chapter is mostly talking. Sorry about that. But our babies suffered so much this time. :'(  
> Also I have no idea if any of the stuff I just spouted would actually be grounds for an amputation, so...just suspend your disbelief for a while, I guess? *nervous laughter*


	7. Rise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks a million for all of the comments and feedback, it's much appreciated! I just wanted to let you all know that there's a bit of flashback at some point in this chapter, so sorry if the tenses get confusing or inconsistent! I'm pretty bad at writing that kind of stuff, lol.

Levi spent the entire evening lying on his front.

It was an uncomfortable position to be in for a long period of time, but it wasn’t as if he could simply roll over. After all, his entire back was striped up and down with open wounds from the whip, and although the bleeding had slowed, it had yet to stop entirely. He was parched, exhausted, and in pain. As per the Emperor’s orders, no food or water had been given to him and he was denied the assistance of a medic.

Sprawled out on his bed, Levi didn’t have to see his own back to know how bad the extent of his injuries were. The wounds would heal in time, and unless they became infected, his life was in no danger. But Levi knew with bitter certainty that the Emperor’s very intention had been to leave scars. Like a cattle brand, these scars would mark him as the Emperor’s exclusive property.

Even if the king wanted to change his mind now, there was no going back with Levi’s betrothal to the Emperor. Levi knew that he was ruined now - damaged goods - and a public spectacle had been made of his shame. No other self-respecting man with any pride would take him now, not when he bore such marks upon his back like a lowly slave. He was absolutely worthless, and marriage to any other person could no longer bring the king profit. It’d be like trying to sell pottery that had already been cracked. No matter how beautiful the piece was, it was still irreversibly damaged. And so Levi was painfully aware that he was now trapped in this betrothal with no way out.

Even worse was the thought of what Erwin might think of him. At the very least, Levi was thankful that the commander had not bore witness to his humiliation at the whipping post. It would have been unbearable to be marked as another man’s property in front of the only person on earth that he loved. Surely, if Erwin saw him now, he’d be disgusted. As much faith as Levi had in him, it was hard to believe that the commander would still want him when he was to have such hideous scars.

Part of Levi wanted desperately to weep, but he refused to allow himself the luxury of self-pity. Besides, he doubted he had the strength to cry.

As the prince stared despondently at the wall, he wondered how Erwin was getting on with his missing arm. Although Levi was allowed no visitors, Eren and Mike had snuck in earlier to update him on Erwin’s condition. It made his heart ache to think about the misery and agony Erwin must be in - it probably outweighed his own suffering by far.

Were it not for the pain that rendered him immobile for the time being, Levi might have tried slipping out of his chambers to go to Erwin’s side. Even the slightest movement sent jolts of agony up and down his back as the wounds threatened to tear even further open. Although walking around was out of the question at the moment, Levi would crawl to Erwin on all fours if he had to.

But he didn’t want the commander to see him like this. What Erwin needed was time and space to recover, not the repulsive sight of his ruined lover.

Besides, Levi was certain that Erwin’s injury from the joust was his fault. He knew Erwin, the man had never been defeated in any of the other jousts that he participated in throughout the years. It had been a shock to everyone that he had been so easily knocked off his horse’s back. But Levi knew it wasn’t because Mike, the Emperor’s knight, was stronger than Erwin. Erwin had lost focus because of him.

Perhaps it was better this way. The fact that the Emperor suspected Levi of an affair with Erwin had filled him with dread. If Levi was now ruined in Erwin’s eyes, then at least the Emperor wouldn’t have any reason to make good on his threats to harm the commander.

Levi had dared to show disobedience to the Emperor, and he’d been punished for it. Pain was something that he could deal with, but if Erwin was to suffer because of him, then he’d never be able to forgive himself.

He could hear the revelries continuing on throughout the castle as the day’s festivities culminated in a great feast downstairs. Apparently, no-one was particularly bothered about the absence of the prince whose betrothal they were meant to be celebrating.

A knock on the door tore Levi abruptly out of his thoughts, and Eren’s voice called out to him from the other side.

“Your highness? It’s me, Eren.”

“Come in,” Levi rasped, and he propped himself up on his arms with a soft groan as Eren hurried inside, hastily shutting the door behind him.

“I brought these for you,” Eren announced, producing a roll of bread, an apple, and a skin of water from underneath his tunic. “I’m sorry, I know it’s not much, but it was all I could manage to smuggle away.”

“Thank you, Eren,” Levi murmured, and he reached for the water first, taking several long gulps. It was a relief to finally have something to drink, especially after he’d screamed himself hoarse. “You know, you shouldn’t have risked coming here. You could have been in serious trouble if you were caught.”

“I know,” Eren replied stubbornly, “But I wanted to come. I wish I could do something about your injuries, too, but...I don’t think the Emperor would be happy if he saw that you’d been receiving medical treatment.”

The boy passed the apple and bread over once Levi drank his fill of the water and quietly watched the prince eat. Although he had been absolutely parched, Levi wasn’t all that hungry. He’d lost his appetite after thinking about Erwin’s suffering.

“How’s Erwin doing?” Levi asked as he nibbled at the bread, “Is he all right?”

“Please don’t worry, your highness. He’s doing well,” Eren replied in a cheerful voice that Levi presumed he was using in an attempt to lift the mood, “The medic said that the tissue will heal nicely, and he’s shown no signs of fever or infection. He’ll be able to return to his normal routines soon enough. Oh, I almost forgot…”

Eren reached into his trousers pocket and rooted around for a moment before producing a crumpled sheet of paper. He smoothed it out over his knee before handing it to the prince.

“Here, the commander asked me to give this to you.”

Blinking in surprise, Levi carefully unfolded the sheet of paper to find a note written to him.

_My beautiful Levi,_

_I heard about what happened to you and I cannot begin to express how sorry I am for not being there to protect you like I should have. I have failed you in every sense and I can only hope to earn your forgiveness somehow. As I am now, I am unworthy of you, and I have been advised to stop seeing you for the sake of your safety. Please know that I want nothing more than to hold you close once again, but for the time being, I believe that it is for the best that I follow that advice._

_This does not mean that I have given you up. I will never give you up, not when there is still breath in my lungs and blood in my veins, and I will certainly not abandon you to suffer alone. I know that you are strong and that you can bear with this for a while longer. We will find a way to free you from that despicable man, I swear it. Until then, please remember this - I have always loved you, Levi, and I always will, no matter what happens to either of us._

_Yours,  
Erwin_

Tears welled up in Levi’s eyes when he saw how shakily the words had been scrawled onto the page, and he hastily blinked them away. Erwin was right-handed. It must have been a strain for him to write so much with his left hand. But he was strong and smart, he didn’t need anyone’s pity, Levi’s least of all. He’d be able to function just as he always had with his non-dominant hand in no time.

“Eren,” he said softly, turning to the young squire who still stood faithfully at his bedside “Eren, would you tell him...Tell him that I love him, and there’s nothing he needs to ask my forgiveness for. He’s not unworthy, he’ll never be.”

“Of course I’ll tell him,” Eren promised firmly, “I’d be happy to. If there’s anything else I can do for you, your highness...”

“Thank you, Eren. You’ve done more than enough, and you should go now. Quickly, before anyone sees you here.”

“If you want me to, I’ll stay-”

“Eren, go. That’s an order.”

“Yes, your highness,” Eren finally conceded, reluctantly turning to leave. He cast Levi one last worried glance before he ducked out of the prince’s chambers, disappearing as quietly as he had come.

Once Eren was gone, Levi carefully folded Erwin’s letter up and slipped it underneath his pillow. It was surprising how much comfort something as simple as that could bring to him, and even Levi himself didn’t expect that he could be so sentimental. But no matter how dire things seemed, this letter was an assurance of Erwin’s unwavering and constant devotion, and it provided a small light amidst the darkness that Levi had found himself mired in.

He didn’t know when he’d be able to see Erwin again, but with his letter under the pillow, it was almost as if he was right here by Levi’s side.

Ever since he was young, Levi had known little kindness in his life. Born a bastard child with no place in the world, he was torn out of his penniless mother’s arms as soon as he’d learned to walk. He didn’t remember much about his early life, all he could recall was being passed back and forth between dirty, prying hands and being forced to huddle with other children in a cold, dark room, all of them crammed together like sheep in a slaughtering pen.

Once, a few of them tried to escape, but there wasn’t much that little children like them could do. Each child was given a vicious beating before being thrown back into that dark and frightening room.

And then one day, someone grabbed Levi by the arm and dragged him out of the room where a man bearing the king’s seal was waiting for them. The man with the seal handed over a few coins, and the next thing he knew, Levi was being carted off to the royal palace.

Alone, afraid, and only a child, all Levi could do was obediently follow the orders that he was given with no questions asked. _Scrub these floors. Sweep this room. Wash these clothes. Keep your head down and do as you’re told._ It wasn’t like he could run away, there was nowhere for him to go and no-one to turn to.

At any rate, living in the castle was certainly better than being in that dark and dingy room where all the children clung fearfully to each other for warmth and comfort. At least in the castle, he had enough food to eat and and a safe, warm place to sleep. Even if he had to scrub the floors until his hands bled, it was a small price to pay. He could have ended up somewhere much worse - he was lucky that he had been purchased to serve the king instead of being sold as a child-whore for the entertainment of depraved men, as was the unfortunate fate of many other children like him.

Levi couldn’t remember exactly when the king began to take notice of him, but he did remember the exact moment when he first laid eyes on Erwin.

Levi was five years old, and Erwin was ten. He remembered watching in awe as Erwin's father, commander of the king's guard at the time, strode proudly into the throne room in a magnificent suit of armour with his son following close behind.

 _“Don't just stand there, boy!”_ one of the other servants had snapped at him, _“You're to kneel in the presence of the Commander and young master Smith.”_

Levi was quick to comply, quietly dropping to his knees. He could feel Erwin’s curious gaze on him, but didn’t dare to look back at him. To be gawked at by a lowly little servant boy would be a terrible insult to the commander and his son, and so Levi remained on his knees with his eyes glued to the ground until both of them had left an hour and a half later.

He didn’t actually speak to Erwin until just over a year after that. He had been trying to dust a shelf that was well above his height when it happened, but even with the assistance of a stepping stool, he could not reach the shelf.

 _“Hello, there,”_ came a pleasant voice from behind, _“Shall I help you with that?”_

Levi was so startled that he nearly toppled off the stepping stool. He whipped around to find himself face-to-face with the commander’s son, who was looking expectantly back at him.

 _“Please don’t trouble yourself, Master Smith,”_ he managed to say, _“Your hands will get dirty.”_

 _“Never mind that,”_ Erwin replied good-naturedly, _“I’ve just been helping my father in the armoury, they’re already dirty. Besides, you should rest. I hear you’ve been working all afternoon.”_ He plucked the feather duster from Levi’s hands and reached up over their heads with ease to brush the dust off the shelf.

 _“I’m Erwin,”_ he continued as he lowered the feather duster, _“What’s your name?”_

_“...Levi.”_

_“Well, Levi, I’ll ask my father to tell the king that you deserve some leisure time in the gardens. You’ve been working hard.”_

_“The gardens?”_ Levi inquired, unable to hold back his curiosity despite the fact that he knew it was not his place to ask Erwin any questions, _“What’s that?”_

_“You haven’t been in the gardens before? Oh, I’m sure you’ll like it. I’m a little old to be playing out there, but no matter. I’ll accompany you myself.”_

It was the first time since Levi was taken away from his mother that anyone had shown him any kindness with no expectation of receiving anything in return. At first, Levi didn’t understand why Erwin, the commander’s son, would want to bother with him. But it didn’t matter, and the two of them soon became inseparable, even after the king declared Levi to be the prince of Sina.

All throughout those years, Erwin was nothing but kind to him. He treated Levi the servant boy with just as much respect and reverence as he did with Levi the prince. The years they spent apart when Erwin left to undertake his military training did nothing to diminish their affection for one another, although it was not until Erwin returned five years later that Levi realised he was in love.

The feeling had hit him hard like a punch in the gut the moment he and Erwin were reunited - he was just eighteen, and Erwin a gallant and blindingly handsome young man of twenty-three.

They covertly shared their first kiss in the gardens where they had spent much of their childhood together, and swore themselves to one another with whispered promises. They were young at the time, but neither of them had been naive enough to think that what they had between them was remotely acceptable. Both of them were painfully aware that the prince could only love and marry whoever the king ordered him to.

Even then, Levi had known that his heart was not his own to give away. But he did it anyway, placing it in Erwin’s loving, sword-calloused hands, where it remained to this very day.

And even if Erwin only had one hand to hold it with now, and Levi was soon to be wed to another man, it didn’t make the slightest difference. Some things just wouldn’t change.

 

* * *

 

 

Erwin didn’t let himself wallow in self-pity for long.

As soon as the medic declared him fit, he was out of bed and resuming his duties as commander of the king’s guard.

At first, even everyday tasks were difficult with the use of only one arm. Buttoning his own shirt and lacing up his boots were already daunting challenges, and putting on his armour was even more of a struggle. It was frustrating, but there was nothing he could do about it. His arm wasn’t going to grow back any time soon, so he’d just have to adapt to his new situation and take everything in stride.

Eren was always eager to help, and his inexperience as a squire was compensated for with his eagerness and determination. Erwin was not so prideful as to refuse Eren’s assistance, but he knew it would be unwise to depend on his young squire’s help. And so although Eren remained heavily involved in the beginning, Erwin gradually began to ask less and less of him the more he became accustomed to carrying out tasks without two arms.

Refusing to allow his handicap to be an impediment, Erwin adjusted quickly to the change out of sheer willpower. Within a matter of days, he could manage perfectly well on his own. Eren made regular reports of the commander’s progress to Levi, and Erwin hoped that it would put part of the prince’s undoubtedly troubled mind at ease. With his wedding day rapidly approaching, Levi already had more than enough to worry about, and Erwin would hate to burden him with anything else.

Erwin hadn’t seen Levi in days, but it felt like years. Even if he didn’t want Levi to fret over him, he was still worried sick about the prince. Was he recovering well from the whipping the Emperor had given him? Had the Emperor done anything else to hurt him? He knew Levi was far from helpless, but the Emperor was truly a monster.

These were the thoughts that he found himself dwelling on as he returned to the armoury to put his sword away after spending the entire day training himself to fight with his left arm. His right arm had been his sword arm, but he had to get used to fighting with the other if he wanted to keep his position as commander of the king’s guard. The training session had been exhausting, but he’d made good progress and was pleased with the results. In any case, though, he had promised Levi he would find a way to free him from the clutches of the Emperor, and he was determined to come up with a solution.

There wasn’t much he could think of short of simply killing the brute.

The thought wasn’t entirely unappealing. After all, Erwin was not a sadistic man but he would very much enjoy putting the Emperor through even more pain than what he had forced Levi to endure. If they were going to do it, though, they’ have to be smart about it. A failed attempt on the Emperor’s life would surely mean a death sentence, and the Emperor was no fool. Plenty of assassination attempts had been made towards him before, and none of them had succeeded.

They’d have to get him when he was alone, unguarded, unarmed, and least expecting it. But when would that opportunity be?

Right on cue, the armoury door opened behind him, and Erwin looked over his shoulder to see the Emperor entering like he owned the place.

Erwin acknowledged his arrival with a brief salute, although he did not set down his sword.

“Good to see you doing well, Commander Smith,” the Emperor sneered, “Even though you’re missing an arm.” His eyes were none-too-subtly resting on the stump where Erwin’s right arm had once been, the sleeve folded up and pinned in place.

“I appreciate your concern, my lord,” Erwin replied stiffly as his grip on the hilt of the sword  tightened involuntarily, “Is there anything I can do for you?”

At the moment, Erwin wanted nothing more than to rip the Emperor’s innards out. He could end this now, cut off his head with a single strike. This man had hurt Levi, he’d made him bleed, and he deserved to die like a dog. The thought that Levi was to be trapped with this monster of a man for the rest of his life was sickening. But Erwin had to remain calm and give nothing away. If he attacked, the Emperor would surely be able to counter. After all, he was a warrior himself, and the sword at his side did not escape Erwin’s attention. In his current state, Erwin couldn’t fight him, not when he had yet to become entirely accustomed to fighting with his left arm. With this in mind, Erwin slowly set his blade down.

“I just wanted to see how you were getting on,” the Emperor replied nonchalantly, “It would be such a shame if the great Commander Erwin Smith was no longer able to lead his knights.”

“I assure you, I am still perfectly capable of the task.”

“The prince will be happy to hear that, I’m sure. He seems to be very fond of you.”

Erwin had to choose his words carefully. The Emperor wasn’t stupid, he would be able to tell if he was trying to deny having any affection for the prince in a way that was too obvious. And that was exactly what he was here to do, Erwin assumed - to draw out a confession and confirm that he and Levi were engaging in an affair. Erwin wasn’t about to give him that.

“I’m honoured that he thinks highly of me,” he answered evenly, “Prince Levi and I have been friends since we were children, and it makes me happy that he is to be married to a man as great as yourself. It’s a fine match, if I may be so bold as to say.”

The Emperor let out a bark of laughter at this, and the greasy, self-satisfied grin on his face grew wider.

“I have all sorts of things in mind for the prince once we’re married,” he told Erwin in an amused voice, “He’ll be mine to do whatever I like with, you know. I have no interest in allowing him to rule at my side, but he’s pretty enough to be a decent diversion when I grow bored with warfare and matters of the court. Tell me, Commander Smith, are the rumours true? Was our little prince once nothing but a slave?”

It was getting harder and harder to refrain from lunging at the Emperor. Hearing him speak of the prince in such a way disgusted Erwin to no end. Yet, he kept his features cemented in a mask of neutrality and forced himself to reply truthfully.

“Yes, my lord, that’s correct. He was sold into the court and served the king until he adopted him as his own child.”

“That’s good, then. He’ll already know how to mop the floors and shine my boots. I bet I can get him to spread his legs for me on command, too. Imagine that - my very own trained whore. Do you think I can do that, Commander Smith?”

“I wouldn’t know, my lord, but you’ll have the privilege of finding out, won’t you?”

“I look forward to it,” the Emperor grinned, licking his lips lewdly. “If he’s any good, maybe I’ll even let you have a go with him yourself when I’m in a charitable mood.”

“How generous of you.”

“Of course, it might prove difficult for you to fuck him with only one arm to hold him down with, but it wouldn’t be much fun if he didn’t struggle a bit first.”

“I’m sure I’ll manage if the opportunity arises, my lord.”

The Emperor laughed again, the sound harsh and grating against Erwin’s ears.

“That’s the spirit!” he barked out, clearly amused by Erwin’s response, “It’s just what I’d expect from the famous Commander Erwin Smith. I like it when a man can pull himself up by the bootstraps and get back in the saddle after facing some trials and tribulations. It makes for a good story. Anyway, my intended is such a delicate little thing, I’m sure you’d have no trouble making him behave even in your state.”

It was clear to Erwin that the Emperor was trying to get a rise out of him, wanting him to let his emotions get the better of him and inadvertently reveal his feelings for Levi by lashing out. But Erwin wasn’t stupid enough to let himself fall into a trap like that. The Emperor’s vulgar comments about Levi were truly despicable, and even if Erwin could do nothing but plaster on a fake smile, he swore that the Emperor would pay for it later.

Besides, if he thought Levi was delicate, then he had another thing coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And...I apologise for another relatively uneventful chapter. More action will follow soon, I promise!


	8. Departure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for how long it took me to update this! Life has been hectic lately, and unfortunately, I got stuck for a while as I was writing this chapter. Therefore, it feels a bit brief and lackluster...

In the final few days leading up to Levi’s wedding, Erwin waited desperately for the chance to make his move against the Emperor.

He would do it the old-fashioned way - cut the bastard’s head off when he was unarmed and defenceless. The kill would have to be clean and quick without allowing the Emperor any time to react. Absolutely no margin for error could be permitted, and Erwin would not risk trying to do it when the moment wasn’t exactly right. If things went badly, then it would undoubtedly be a death sentence for him if he wasn’t killed in the midst of the attempt first.

During this time, Erwin and Levi did not see or speak to one another even once. Their situation was precarious and their affair was in danger of being discovered, so Erwin had decided it was best to keep his distance from the prince even if he wanted nothing more than to be at his side.

The Emperor was to remain a guest in the palace until the day before the wedding. That was when he would depart with the prince back to his own fortress where they would be married. Erwin had until then to strike, and the clock was ticking.  

Mike and Eren were the only ones who were aware of his intentions to kill the Emperor. Although Mike fought as a knight under the Emperor’s banner, he had no real loyalty tying him there and acknowledged that the people of Rose-Maria would be better off without his iron-fisted rule. And Eren, as always, was absolutely determined to do whatever he could to help.

In accordance to the plan, Mike would keep his eyes, ears, and nose on high alert, waiting for a possible opportunity to arise. Eren was to serve as courier between him and Erwin, ready to alert him when Mike suspected the Emperor might be alone and without a weapon. However, Erwin left Levi himself completely uninvolved and instructed Mike and Eren to not speak a single word of the matter to him.

He didn’t dare let Levi know about his plans. If things went wrong - which they very well could - and the Emperor discovered that Levi had known all along, there was no telling what he would do to him. In the worst-case scenario, Erwin was prepared to shoulder all responsibility by himself.

Erwin kept his blades sharp and readied himself to move at a minute’s notice, but the opportune moment to strike never came.

The Emperor was as cautious as he was cruel, and kept guards stationed nearby everywhere he went. Even when he bathed and slept, there would be at least three men standing watch outside his door. He left no vulnerable points to be exploited, and Erwin became more and more desperate as the days flew past.

Before he knew it, the day that the Emperor was set to leave Sina with Levi had arrived.

His chance to save the prince had slipped away.

Erwin knew he had failed Levi. He had promised to free him, and had been unable to fulfill that promise. He had to see the prince one last time before he left for the Emperor’s fortress, but how could he face him like this?

That morning, the commander went out into the deserted training yard at dawn and vented his frustration on a straw dummy. He cut off its arms, then its legs, scattering straw haphazardly across the dirt. He thrust his sword into its chest, the blade easily piercing its way through. Finally, he swung his sword in a horizontal arc and sent the dummy’s head flying towards the other side of the yard.

Erwin lowered his sword, rage thrumming inside of his veins. Although he was making vast improvements, he still was not yet at the point where he was able to fight like he could when he still had two arms. At any rate, no matter how much more he trained or planned or prepared, there was no longer anything he could do for Levi.

“Commander?” came Eren’s voice from behind him, and Erwin turned to face the young squire who looked very much as if he wished he was still tucked into bed. “The king would like you to meet him in the throne room. He needs to speak to you.”

“I’ll go immediately,” Erwin sighed, throwing the sword down a little more forcefully than intended. “Thank you, Eren.”

He put on his cloak and headed up to the castle, wondering what the king needed to say to him so early in the morning. He was aware that the Emperor and the king had agreed to merge their armies, the king probably wanted to discuss the logistics. Erwin had yet to complete the preparations, his attention had been divided between that, having to learn to do everything with only one arm, and his plans to kill the Emperor. With everything that was going on, he’d barely been getting enough sleep.

Erwin was the first to arrive inside of the throne room, and he stood ready in front of the empty throne as he waited for the king to show up. His eyes moved towards the other end of the room as he glanced over his shoulder, and he noticed that there were still bloodstains on the ground by the whipping post.

Levi’s blood.

The sight made him sick, and he quickly looked away, fists clenched tightly at his sides.

He didn’t have to wait much longer before the king entered the room, and Erwin bent forward in a bow as the old man hobbled his way to the throne. He moved forward to assist the king as he stepped up the dais on top of which the throne was situated, but the king waved him off and insisted on clambering up by himself.

“Thank you for coming to meet me so early, Commander Smith,” the king spoke as he settled into his seat, “I know things have been difficult since your accident, but I am pleased to see how well you are managing.”

“Your highness, if it’s about the preparations for merging the troops, I haven’t quite-”

“No, that’s not what I called you here for,” the king interrupted, raising a hand to silence him. “That can wait. I have a request to make of you.”

“I will do whatever you ask of me, your highness.”

A faint, distracted smile came across the king’s features. “You are more like your father than you realise,” he mused, “You have been serving me just as well as he did, and I see that not even the loss of an arm can slow you down. You look just like he did at your age, too. He would have been proud of you. I know I would be if I was him.”

Erwin remained still, unsure of what to say. Ever since his father died serving the king, leaving him to take his place as Commander, he had not spoken of him to anyone except for Levi. But even those occasions were rare, and it was odd to hear someone mentioning him again after all those years.

The king let out a sigh, and Erwin could not help but think that he looked especially old and frail from where he sat on the throne.

“I could never understand your father,” the king muttered, “He took you everywhere with him, you were like his shadow. I never knew why he, or anyone else, would want children, or how they could bring themselves to love them. After all, my nieces and nephews were all disgusting, vile little things, just as despicable as their parents. But then Levi came to me. My little sparrow.”

A faraway look had made its way upon the king’s face as if he didn’t quite know where he was, but Erwin stayed silent and let him continue on.

“I took him in as my son, but he was more than just a child to fawn over. He was to serve me as a valuable tool. In exchange, I gave him the life of a prince and everything he could ever want.”

_Not everything,_ Erwin thought bitterly, _All he ever wanted was freedom. And you denied him that._

“I knew it would be worth the effort. One day, he would bring me riches, and that he has finally done. I was so pleased at the prospect that I didn’t even think when I accepted the Emperor’s offer for his hand in marriage. And I have come to realise that I shan’t see my little sparrow again after today. I wonder if I am just a foolish old man...was it the promise of gold that has made me happy all these years, or was it Levi himself?”

Erwin was at a loss for words. Never before had he heard the king speak like this before or give any indication that he valued the prince above his gold. No-one had been under the impression that the king chose to adopt Levi for any reason but to raise him as a commodity to sell for riches and political power. It felt strange and foreign to hear him admit such a thing.

“Your highness,” he ventured, “If I may speak frankly, it’s not too late to call the prince’s betrothal off.”

“I know you mean well with your words, Commander, but I’m afraid it is. Anyway, I digress. Forgive me, I have forced you to endure an old man’s ramblings for too long. The reason I summoned you here was because I wanted to ask you to help escort the prince to the Emperor’s fortress in Rose. You may take whichever soldiers you choose with you, and I must also ask you to attend the wedding in my place. I am too old and tired to make the journey, but Levi has always been fond of you. I know he would appreciate your presence.”

“Yes, your highness,” Erwin replied with a brief bow, “I will assemble my men immediately.”

“Very good, Commander. You may be dismissed.”

There was nothing else to be said. Even if the king was beginning to regret his decision, he was not about to go back on it. And so Erwin saluted, turned away from him, and left the throne room without another word.

That night, after preparations for their departure had been completed, Erwin went up to Levi’s chambers alone. He was to escort Levi out of the castle where the carriage to take him to Rose would be waiting. It would be the first time the two would see each other since the joust.

As he ascended the stone staircase, his legs felt like they were being weighed down with lead. He wasn’t sure if he could bear to look at Levi now. After all, he was essentially about to hand his lover over to another man. Under his arm, he carried a small parcel wrapped in parchment - a parting gift. Even though Erwin was to accompany Levi all the way to Rose and attend his wedding, they wouldn’t have much time together at all, and Erwin might not have another chance to give it to him.

All those years he had spent utterly in love with Levi, and all of it had been for naught.

The Emperor had posted two of his men in front of Levi’s chamber doors, but the guards were now nowhere to be seen, and Erwin was thankful for that. They had probably already gone down to get themselves ready to leave. It gave Erwin the chance to have a little privacy with Levi, quite possibly for the last time. The commander didn’t even have to knock on the door to announce his arrival. Levi must have heard him coming; he opened the door to let Erwin in before he could even set the parcel down so he could knock with his only hand.

Levi looked so small standing there in the doorway, and Erwin was suddenly reminded of the little servant boy he’d met so many years ago. That servant boy, now a prince on the eve of his marriage, seemed paler than usual, and a little thinner than Erwin remembered, too. He realised that this whole time, the Emperor must not have permitted Levi to leave his chambers, and a dull ache throbbed inside of his chest.

“Levi,” he breathed, “Levi, I…”

“Stop it. Don’t say anything,” the prince murmured as Erwin threw the parcel down to embrace him, holding him close with his one arm. “Don’t you dare try to act noble and say that everything’s your fault. It’s not.”

“I promised I’d protect you, and I failed.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll do this to repay the debt I owe the king.”

“You owe him nothing, your life and freedom least of all,” Erwin protested, but Levi silenced him with a kiss.

The prince gripped Erwin’s shoulders as their lips met, his fingers moving up his nape to entangle themselves in blond hair. Erwin bent lower so Levi wouldn’t have to stand on his toes, wrapping his arm around the prince’s waist. Levi seemed to melt into his hold, their bodies fitting perfectly together. The kiss they shared was slow but full of yearning, and it tasted painfully bittersweet.

The two of them could make a run for it now, Erwin thought. He’d take Levi far away into the countryside where they’d never be found. They could just disappear, and they’d have a simple life, but a good one. Away from the palace, away from the king, away from the Emperor, away from everything. It would be just him and Levi - beautiful, bewitching, utterly perfect Levi - and they’d have all the time in the world.

Levi was the one to finally pull away, gently pushing Erwin’s hand off of his waist and shattering his reverie.

“I’m sorry,” Erwin murmured as he gently cupped Levi’s face in his palm, “I’m sorry, Levi, I’m so sorry. If I hadn’t been so weak-”

“I said, stop,” Levi insisted, his voice soft but firm. Quicksilver eyes held his gaze, and Erwin’s breath caught in his throat when he saw the fire in them, searing hot and mesmerising. “You don’t need to worry about me, Erwin. I’m not afraid.”

Despite the situation, Erwin couldn’t help but smile. This was Levi all right, his brave, strong Levi.

“Here,” he said, picking up the parcel from where he’d dropped it and holding it out to the prince. “This is for you. It’s...It’s a wedding gift. Don’t open it here. Wait until you are alone.”

“Thank you, Commander,” Levi said, and that was it. They were no longer Erwin and Levi the lovers, but Commander Erwin Smith and his prince. From here on out, whatever they had between them had to come to an end. Both of them understood that well.

Wordlessly, Erwin stepped back to let Levi lead the way back down the stone staircase,

The king was waiting outside by the carriage, and Levi paused momentarily in front of him. Both of them were silent for a moment, and Erwin thought the king would say and do nothing and Levi might give his adoptive father the cold shoulder in return. After all, they had not spoken to each other since the Emperor had Levi whipped.

But it was not so - much to Erwin’s surprise, the king reached out with a wrinkled hand to touch Levi’s face, his fingers brushing against his cheek with surprising affection. Levi was completely still, his expression unreadable.

“My beautiful child,” the king uttered as he clasped Levi’s hand tightly in his own, “You are no little sparrow. You are a raven. This I have always known.”

Erwin had to admit he was unsure of what the king meant by this, but he saw Levi give his father a small nod in response before climbing inside the carriage. The carriage door was shut by a footman, and that was the last that the king would ever see of the boy he had raised as his own son.

 

* * *

 

 

Levi made himself comfortable upon the plush seat inside the carriage, setting Erwin’s gift on his lap. Outside, he could hear the sound of orders being shouted back and forth as they prepared for departure. The carriage he was riding in was in the middle of the formation, with the Emperor undoubtedly riding at the front, and Erwin and his knights were probably taking up the rear. Levi would much rather be riding alongside the others instead of being transported in the carriage like a piece of merchandise being carted off to the market, but he knew he was in no position to protest.

The carriage lurched as they began to move, and Levi winced as he was thrown against the back of the seat. His back was still tender from the whipping he’d received, not yet fully healed, and even the slightest touch to the sensitive scarred flesh sent jolts of pain through his body.

They would travel all night before reaching the Emperor’s fortress in Rose, and the following day, he and the Emperor would be married. The thought made Levi’s stomach turn. He wasn’t stupid, he knew that all the Emperor wanted from him was to treat him like a toy - an object of personal amusement. He’d be subject to the brute’s every whim, and there would be punishments if he dared to disobey.

What terrified him the most was what the Emperor might do to Erwin if he found any reason to confirm his suspicions of their affair. To protect Erwin, and to repay his debt to the king, he would go through with this. He had endured all manners of suffering in the past and he was willing to bear infinitely more upon his shoulders if it meant that Erwin would be safe. He’d do whatever was necessary - feign complete and utter loyalty, accept any order given to him, roll onto his back and spread his legs, let the Emperor do whatever he pleased.

Levi’s few personal possessions had been packed up into wooden trunks which were piled inside one of the supply wagons. He hadn’t brought much - just a few garments, some books, and the wedding robes the king had ordered to be made for him. And of course, there was Erwin’s gift.

Curiously, Levi unwound the twine that fastened the parcel together and carefully peeled away the parchment paper to reveal Erwin’s gift to him. It was a winter cloak of luxurious velvet - even for the commander’s salary, it must have cost a fortune, and Levi wished that Erwin had not spent so much on him. Still, Levi was glad to have it. Rose was known to be bitterly cold, and wearing the cloak would almost be like having Erwin there to hold him close and keep him warm.

He moved to unfold the cloak, pulling the first layer of fabric back, and that was when a glint of metal caught his eye.

Erwin had hidden a dagger inside the folds of the cloak. 


	9. Cage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think we've had a Levi-centric chapter for a while, so here we go...

The carriage jerked to an abrupt stop, and Levi jolted awake.

When had he dozed off, and how long had he been asleep? Groggily, he rubbed his eyes and tried to regain his bearings as quickly as possible.

He could hear shouts from outside the carriage - orders to begin unloading the supply wagons - and he realised they must have already arrived at the Emperor’s fortress. Apparently, he had been asleep for much longer than he’d originally thought. Hurriedly, Levi wrapped the cloak Erwin had given him back up, the dagger tucked safely away out of sight within the folds of rich sapphire coloured fabric. Just as he had finished bundling up the parcel, the carriage door was pulled open and he was instructed to get out.

One of the Emperor’s servants was there to help Levi out of the carriage, although the prince politely declined the assistance. As he stepped out and onto solid ground, Erwin’s gift clutched to his chest, he was met with the sight of a great stone citadel. It had been the ancestral home for generation after generation of kings, standing tall and solid for hundreds of years. Now, thanks to more recent conquests, it was the centre of the empire of Rose-Maria.

It was easily twice the size of the castle he had grown up in, and Levi found himself suddenly feeling quite small as he stared up in a mixture of dread and wonder at the looming fortress that was to be his new home.

Although, _prison_ might be a better word for it. No matter how big the fortress was, it was no different. For Levi, it was simply another cage.

The Emperor’s servants and guards scrambled to unload the wagons as swiftly as possible, and the horses were quickly led away back to the stables. Amidst the flurry of activity, Levi dared to sneak a glance at Erwin. He watched the commander dismount with surprising grace for a man who now only had one arm, and found himself wishing dearly that he could go to him. But he didn’t dare, not here where they were surrounded by the Emperor’s guards.

At that moment, Erwin looked up, and his eyes met the prince’s briefly. Levi tore his gaze away hastily, afraid of revealing his affections for the commander to unfriendly eyes.

A hand clamped down hard on his shoulder, and Levi couldn’t help but wince.

“What do you think?” the Emperor grinned, his grip on Levi’s shoulder tightening as he gestured towards his fortress with his other hand, “Impressive, isn’t it?”

“Yes, my lord,” Levi replied obediently. He knew how things worked, he’d been playing the game long enough. All he needed to do was look pretty and say whatever the Emperor wanted to hear like a docile little doll. Every part of him wanted nothing more than to shove the Emperor’s disgusting hand away and tell him that he couldn’t care less about what the fortress looked like, but he couldn’t risk such impertinence. He knew what the Emperor was like, and he wouldn’t risk endangering Erwin by incurring his wrath. He’d save any rebelliousness for after the wedding, once Erwin was safe and sound back in Sina.

Out of the corner of his eye, Levi could still see that Erwin was watching them warily, no doubt itching to attack the Emperor. His hand was hovering just above the hilt of his sword, and Levi shot him a warning look.

 _Don’t be rash, Erwin,_ he thought desperately, _You’ll be killed before you can even get close._

To his relief, Erwin turned away and began to help his knights unload their things. Under the Emperor’s order, they were all to turn in their weapons before entering the fortress. Erwin had only brought a few of his men with him, including Eren. After all, they wouldn’t stay long. They were set to return to Sina once the wedding was over. There was no telling how long it would be until Levi would be able to see Erwin again after that.

The Emperor thankfully hadn’t seemed to notice their silent exchange. “I am to be your husband,” he continued, “And you will be living under my roof by my generosity. In return, I expect complete obedience from you. You will not speak unless spoken to, you are not to leave your chambers without my permission, and you will obey my every order without complaint. Remember, I _bought_ you. You are my property. Do you understand?”

Levi nodded.

“We won’t hold the wedding until tomorrow morning, but I expect you to join me for dinner tonight. You will find the garments I want you to wear in your room.” The Emperor then beckoned to one of his guards, who saluted and approached immediately. Lips curled in a sneer, he shoved Levi roughly towards the guard.

“Take my betrothed to his quarters,” he ordered, “And make sure to lock the door.”

“Right this way, your highness,” the guard grunted, and Levi quietly followed him into the fortress, Erwin’s gift still held tightly in his arms.

The fortress was not as austere on the inside as it was on the exterior. While Levi’s adoptive father greedily hid his gold away from prying eyes, keeping it all out of sight in the castle catacombs, it was clear that the Emperor was just the opposite and loved to show off his wealth and power. Furnishings were gaudily gilt with gold leaf and decorated with precious stones, and intricate tapestries depicting battle scenes from his various conquests and military campaigns dangled from the cloisters. Treasures seized from foreign lands lined the corridors, sitting on display alongside the skulls of slain enemies.

Levi felt sick as his eyes fell upon a cluster of severed heads that had been hung from one of the torches. The heads had not yet rotted all the way, and strands of dead flesh still dangled grotesquely from the bone as a few flies buzzed half-heartedly around them.

The prince had no way of knowing this, but the heads belonged to a servant, his wife, and their three children. One day, he had tried to escape from the Emperor’s service, but he had been caught before he could even make it out of the fortress. As punishment, he had been beheaded along with his entire family. The five heads were strung up where they could be seen by everyone who passed through the corridor, serving as a gruesome warning to all who had even the slightest hint of dissent stirring inside of their hearts.

“What a pity,” the guard suddenly said as he and Levi made their way up a spiralling stone staircase, “You’re the fifth, you know.”

“What do you mean?” Levi inquired, and the guard glanced over his shoulder at him.

“You don’t know?” the guard asked as they continued to ascend upwards, “Well, the Emperor has a penchant of sorts for this kind of thing. He gets bored when he’s not on the battlefield. Men like that need hobbies, you see? So he brings in lots of pretty little things such as yourself. Sometimes boys, sometimes girls. Well, either way, they all end up the same. Once he’s tired of them, he tortures them and kills them and moves on to the next - if they haven’t killed themselves first, that is. You’re number five. All I’m saying is that you seem cleverer than the others, so it’ll be a real shame. But you’re the first he’s ever said anything about marrying, so maybe you’ll have better luck.”

“Let’s hope so,” Levi muttered dryly. Honestly, he couldn’t say he was surprised - from the very beginning, the Emperor had struck him as the type of man who was never satisfied with what he had and always desired more. Why else would he have led his troops into the kingdom of Maria to conquer and seize it?

Still, he wasn’t afraid. He had decided long ago that this was the path that he had resigned himself to. As long as Erwin was safe and unharmed, nothing else mattered.

“Well, here we are,” the guard announced at last, ushering Levi into a small room at the top of the staircase. “I’ll be back later tonight to escort you down to dinner. Until then, I hope you’ll be comfortable here, your highness.”

The room was rather small and cramped - Levi could cross it in four steps, and he had seen bigger broom cupboards before. But he’d been in worse before when he was a child, so he wouldn’t complain. Aside from a bed, there were very few other furnishings, save an old wooden trunk, a candle, and a cracked mirror propped up against the wall. There was a small window overlooking a field by the bed, and he was grateful for it. Even if he was to be sealed within these stone walls, at least he would be able to look out the window and see the outside world. Somewhere beyond the horizon was his old home of Sina, and that was where Erwin would be after the wedding.

The guard closed the door and locked it as the Emperor had ordered, and Levi was completely still until he could no longer hear the guard’s footsteps as he walked back down the staircase. As soon as he was sure that the guard was gone, he sat down on the bed and unwrapped Erwin’s gift again.

Quickly, the prince took the dagger out from the folds of velvet and slipped it between the mattress and the headboard. He had to keep it hidden; it would surely be confiscated if found. In a room as small as this one, there were very few viable hiding places to keep it tucked away in, and this was the best that he could do for the time being.

Once the dagger was out of sight, Levi knelt down by the trunk where the garments the Emperor ordered him to wear to dinner had been placed. Inside, there was a satin choker and set of plain grey robes trimmed with silver thread. As Levi pulled the robe out, his face flushed when he saw the large diamond shaped slit that hung open at the back. The Emperor, he realised, had deliberately chosen these robes for him to wear so everyone would be able to see the scars on his back from the vicious whipping he had been dealt. Along with the choker that would give him the appearance of a collared dog, the garments would leave no question about who he belonged to.

It would be humiliating to wear them, but orders were orders. Reluctantly, Levi laid the robe and choker out on the bed, ready to be put on when it was time to go down for dinner.

A sparrow landed on the windowsill, and the prince paused momentarily to watch it. It cocked its head, chirping curiously as it stared back at him. While it had wings that could take it far away from here, Levi was not so lucky.

The sparrow chirped again before flying off, and Levi watched it disappear against the milky sky with an envious gaze. He had spent his entire life living like a caged bird with clipped wings, and he would most likely die without ever having tasted freedom.

Levi spent the afternoon staring blankly out the window. There wasn’t much else for him to do - he could not come and go as he pleased here like he was allowed to at the king’s castle. Here, he was no longer a prince, but a possession that the Emperor had locked away, only to be taken out when he was in need of some amusement.

Wondering how Erwin was faring, Levi watched the sun slowly inch downwards until it touched the horizon to cast an amber glow across the fields.

No more little birds came to sit at his windowsill.

As night fell, Levi lit the candle and obediently changed into the clothing that the Emperor provided. The guard from earlier returned as promised to unlock the door and escort him down to the Emperor’s dining hall, and Levi found himself feeling painfully aware of the way his scarred back was exposed by the style of the robes as they made their way back down the staircase.

It appeared that he was the last to arrive at the dining hall, and everyone immediately rose from their chairs as was the custom upon the entry of royalty into a room. Both soldiers and various nobles of the empire did so, and only the Emperor remained in his seat. Levi kept his eyes downcast to avoid his calculating gaze as he made his way to his place at his side.

The Emperor’s guards were lined up along the walls on either side of the room, and Levi noticed that they were all armed. Something didn’t feel right, but he tried to dismiss the strange sensation of foreboding. Perhaps this was just the way things were done in Rose, and perhaps Maria, too. Still, it felt odd that the Emperor’s men should be armed to the teeth, while Erwin and his knights had relinquished their weapons upon entry into the fortress.

Along with his squire Eren and the rest of his knights, Erwin was seated on the opposite side of the great dining table table from where the Emperor and his fiancé were to sit. As Levi passed him, he could feel the commander’s eyes fixed on him. Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t help but glance briefly at his lover, and his heart sank when he saw the way he was looking at him.

Outwardly, Erwin’s expression appeared as neutral and dispassionate as ever, but Levi knew him better than that. His fist was clenched tightly at his side, and the slightest hint of what looked like anger flickered through his sea-blue eyes as Levi passed him. It was the first time that Erwin had seen the marks from the Emperor’s whip on his back, still raw and crimson, and a fresh wave of humiliation washed over him. He had an unpleasant feeling that the Emperor intended specifically for Erwin to see the scars, and surely, the commander was disgusted by what he saw.

It wasn’t just the scars themselves, it was the fact that he’d been claimed by another. Levi knew he was blemished, tainted, spoiled - he felt incredibly repulsive and undesirable under Erwin’s gaze, and he wished for nothing more than a hole to open up on the ground underneath his feet and swallow him whole.

 _By all the gods, you're beautiful,_ Erwin had said to him once, _You will ruin me one day._ Even in the letter he had written to him during their separation following the joust, he’d called him _My beautiful Levi_. He doubted Erwin would see anything beautiful in him after this. All he looked like now was a pathetic, worthless slave who had been beaten into submission.

Why did the man who he had loved for so many years have to see him like this? It was an agonizing feeling, far worse than any physical blow that could be dealt upon him. He would have preferred to be torn into pieces by wild dogs rather than face this sort of indignity.

“What are you all standing for?” the Emperor demanded suddenly, glaring at his dinner guests. “Sit back down. There’s no need to rise in the presence of a whore.”

A stunned hush fell over the dining hall at the blunt words, and Levi froze in his tracks. The Emperor was looking straight at him like a wolf watching its prey, a disgusting smirk spread across his face. Dread crept down Levi’s spine as the dinner guests exchanged confused glances, but they all did as told and sat back down without a word.

All of them except for Erwin.

“Bring it here,” the Emperor ordered, and one the guards stepped forward with one of the trunks that Levi had packed his few possessions into. An acute jolt of panic spiked through Levi’s chest as he stood rooted to the spot. He knew where this was going.  

“I had my men search my intended’s things before sending them up to his room,” the Emperor announced to his guests, “Imagine what they found.”

“You had no right!” Levi protested furiously, “How dare you stick your nose into-”

“Shut your mouth,” the Emperor snarled, cutting him off before he could utter another word. “I have every right. You are my property, and everything to your name is mine as well.” He plucked a book from inside the trunk and upended the remaining contents carelessly onto the ground. As Levi’s possessions scattered messily across the marble floor, he tore the book open to remove a folded sheet of parchment that had been wedged between the pages.

It was Erwin’s letter.

Levi admitted that it had been foolish of him to keep the commander’s letter. He shouldn’t have packed it up to take with him to the Emperor's fortress, even if he thought it would have been safely hidden there inside of an otherwise mundane and nondescript book about herbs. He should have thrown it into the fire after reading it. But some stupidly sentimental part of him had insisted that he keep it with him as some sort of reminder that all those years he’d spent with Erwin at his side were more than a lost dream.

Now, he would pay for his foolishness.

“A _love letter_ ,” the Emperor sneered, holding it aloft for everyone in the hall to see, “Written by the great Commander Erwin Smith and given to my intended just a few days ago.”

A confused murmur rose up from the crowd, and frantically, Levi looked towards Erwin. The commander’s face remained passive as he stood there as still as a statue, but Levi could not stop the terror from welling up inside of his chest. Because of his own carelessness, they’d been discovered. The Emperor’s promise still echoed inside of his head, harsh and grating -

_I will have him drawn and quartered, I tell you. And you will watch._

“You swore to my face that you felt no affection for Commander Smith,” the Emperor continued as he stepped towards Levi, “I never believed you, you lying snake, not even for one moment.” The smirk on his face had grown into a wide,manic grin that revealed all of his yellowing teeth. He was enjoying this, Levi realised. This monster was actually enjoying this.

“You might be a dishonest rat, but I’m a man of my word,” he said as he closed the distance between himself and Levi, reaching out to grab his betrothed roughly by the arm. As he held Levi’s arm in a bruising grip, his other hand ran lewdly across the prince’s exposed back, stroking the scars there with sickening mock affection. “You remember what I said I’d do, don’t you?” The hand travelled up Levi’s back and along the curve of his neck before he latched his fingers tightly in his hair, and he jerked hard on the raven locks as a warning.

“Take Commander Smith and his men to the dungeons.”

At the Emperor’s order, the guards standing against the walls sprang into action, and complete chaos erupted through the dining hall.

Plates and silverware crashed to the floor, knocked down by the panicking nobles in their attempts to scramble out of the way. Their screams echoed across the room as Erwin’s knights prepared to defend themselves despite the fact that they were unarmed. While many of the knights resisted arrest with all of their might, Erwin did not struggle as two guards grabbed him by the shoulders and began steering him towards the doors.

“Commander!” Eren shouted, leaping across the table to come to Erwin’s aid. The gesture was admirable, but ultimately futile. He was thrown to the ground, and even though he jumped stubbornly back to his feet and flung himself at the guards dragging Erwin away, another guard knocked the boy out cold with a vicious blow to the side of his head.

The unconscious Eren was towed out of the room by his legs, a trickle of blood streaming down his forehead. Nearby, another knight who was valiantly defending himself with a goblet and fork serving as improvised weapons was immediately run through with a sword.

All Levi could do was helplessly watch the scene unfold in front of him, completely unable to lift a finger to stop this madness. Erwin, Eren, all of them - they were going to die because of him.

“Erwin!” he cried out, “Erwin, please-” He thrashed in the Emperor’s hold, but it was to no avail. Erwin was calling something back to him, but he couldn’t hear any of it over the sounds of shattering plates and shouting men. And then, before Levi could say or do anything else, Erwin was shoved out of the dining hall and out of sight.

“You can’t do this,” Levi found himself pleading hoarsely as the remaining knights that hadn’t been killed were rounded up and dragged off as well, “You _can’t,_ you had a deal with my father, this has nothing to do with it.”

“Your father is a senile old fool,” the Emperor sneered, “If he loses a few of his knights, he won’t care as  long as he has his gold. And this is my land, I can do whatever I damn well please here. You should know that I intend to have as much fun with this as I can. I’ll have your precious commander executed tomorrow for some entertainment. After all, what’s a wedding party without a little bit of blood?”

“Don’t hurt him, I’m begging you,” Levi implored. It was utterly disgraceful of him to be begging for the mercy of a man as despicable as the Emperor like this, but he was too desperate to care about his own dignity. “If someone is to be punished, it should be me, and only me.”

“Don’t worry, you pathetic little slut,” the Emperor chuckled, leaning close so Levi could feel his hot breath against his cheek, and the prince tried in vain to pull away. “You’ll be getting a punishment, too. I don’t know which I’ll enjoy more - hearing the screams from that pretty mouth of yours, or watching the noble commander’s head roll. We’ll find out, won’t we?”

Without another word, he grabbed Levi by the waist and threw him over his shoulder as if he was nothing more than a sack of potatoes.

Levi made no move to resist and let himself dangle limply there as the Emperor carried him out of the dining hall and back up the stone staircase towards the prince’s quarters. He knew that if he tried to fight back, it would only make things worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And...shit just hit the fan.
> 
> It may or may not be true that I am still very traumatised by the Red Wedding on Game of Thrones OK BYE


	10. Birthright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to let you all know that this is the second to last chapter that I have planned! Thank you all so much for your support and reviews, and I hope you enjoy the new chapter! 
> 
> I have also updated the warnings in the tags so please take heed!

Within minutes, Erwin and his men were all rounded up and dragged down to the dungeons to await their fates.

The dungeons had been built centuries ago, well before most of the fortress itself was constructed. They spiralled on in an underground labyrinth, designed such that even if a prisoner escaped, it would be near impossible for them to find their way out. Prison guards had to be well-versed on the dungeon’s layout, for in the past, many of them had gotten themselves lost before eventually dying down there in the darkness.

After all, the fortress’ original purpose had been to serve as a facility of torture to punish all manners of criminals. Thieves, murderers, and heretics would all be tossed down there to rot, but the majority had always been political prisoners - people who dared to protest against the reign of the ruler at that time. Any poor soul that was brought there would never been seen again.

Eventually, as the stone walls were built higher and higher, the fortress was converted to a strategic outpost where troops could respond to threats coming from the south. As the history books would state, no amount of enemy forces were ever able to seize the fortress or breach those walls. The dungeons no longer housed convicts and instead served as a place to store weapons and supplies.

Of course, that all changed again when the Emperor declared that the fortress would be his personal palace. His first decree was to open up the dungeons once again, and before long, the labyrinth was filled to the brim with prisoners of war, dissenters, and anyone else that displeased the Emperor - even the occasional servant who might have accidentally spilled some wine. And some of the prisoners were there simply for the Emperor’s amusement.

The guards shoved Erwin and his knights into a series of cells, with two soldiers in each. However, each cell was so small that there was hardly even room for one man to stretch his legs out comfortably. One of the guards tossed the unconscious Eren at Erwin’s feet before slamming the cell’s door shut. Several locks and bolts were fixed into place, and then their fate was sealed.

“Looks like the Emperor is going to have the lot of you wait here until you all starve to death,” one of the guards sneered, “But you, Commander Smith...you can bet he’ll have something special in mind for you.”

While he guffawed loudly, the other guards remained silent. Some of them looked almost sympathetic. But none of them dared to protest against the imprisonment of the soldiers from Sina, and they wordlessly turned away to head back the way they came, leaving the prisoners to wait for their deaths. The unspoken code of conduct across all kingdoms held that a host should never inflict deliberate harm upon a guest, lest he bring dishonour upon his own head. Naturally, the Emperor had never been one to abide by any standards of honour and was quite accustomed to following no rules but his own.

Erwin knelt down on the damp stone floor next to Eren, who had a dark bruise on his bloodied forehead that was rapidly swelling into a large welt where he had been struck. The light from the lanterns carried by the guards had long since disappeared upon their departure, surrounding them in pitch black. Squinting, Erwin allowed his eyes a few moments to adjust to the dark before he removed his cloak, and he folded it up to slip underneath Eren’s head as a makeshift pillow.

“What happened?” Eren groaned weakly, one eye feebly fluttering open. When he saw nothing but darkness, he panicked, flailing wildly. “I can’t see anything!” he cried out, groping blindly at the air in front of him, “Someone help me!”

“Calm down, Eren,” Erwin said firmly, placing a hand in the centre of the boy’s chest to steady him. “We’ve been taken to the dungeons.”

But Eren only thrashed even more fiercely, shoving Erwin’s hand away. “Get away from me!” he shouted, “Father, make them stop!”

_ Father? _

That was not a word that Erwin had expected to hear, and it caught him by surprise. For a moment, he did nothing but stare at Eren in confusion. The boy was panting harshly, his eyes darting wildly back and forth and face as pale as a sheet. It was as if he’d awoken from some terrible nightmare, and Erwin supposed he couldn’t blame him for calling out for his father. He was only a kid, after all.

“Eren, it’s me,” Erwin spoke, making sure to keep his voice even and steady as he put a reassuring hand on Eren’s shoulder. “No one will harm you under my watch.”

“Commander?” Eren squeaked uncertainly, “Is that really you?”

“Yes, it’s really me. You must remain calm.”

Slowly, Eren sat up. His panic seemed to be subsiding, slowly but surely, as his vision began to adapt itself in order to accommodate for the lack of light. He let out a small groan of pain, rubbing at his swollen forehead. He’d taken a rather heavy hit to the head, and Erwin was honestly surprised that he had regained consciousness so soon with no apparent signs of damage to the brain. When Eren felt the wetness of blood there, his whole body tensed up and Erwin thought he might begin to panic again.

But he forced himself to calm down, taking deep, shaky breaths. He looked up at Erwin, worry written in his youthful features.

“Where is Prince Levi?” he asked, “Is he all right?”

“The Emperor has taken him away somewhere,” Erwin replied, “I don’t know what he intends to do to him. But we must be patient.”

“What are you talking about!?” Eren protested, “How can you be so calm!? The prince is in danger! Don’t you care at all!?”

“I have a plan. Just wait.”

“A plan? What sort of plan?”

“A simple one, and you’ll find out soon enough. Did you really think I would let my men die on my account? Or let the Emperor do as he pleases with the prince? Now do as I say and be patient.”

“Yes, Commander,” Eren mumbled, looking sullenly back down and drawing his knees up to his chest. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell.”

“I’m not angry at you. Don’t worry about that,” Erwin assured him, “But are you quite all right Eren? I know that you’re afraid, but-”

“I’m not afraid!” Eren snapped suddenly, giving the commander a glare before remembering where he was and quickly shrinking back in on himself. “I mean...I’m really not. It’s just that I’ve been here before. I remember this place, this darkness.”

“What?”

How could Eren possibly have been here before? He was only a stable boy from Sina, what business would he have in the Emperor’s dungeon? And even if he had been there before like he said, how had he managed to escape? It was almost impossible for anyone, and even more so for a young boy by himself. Granted, Erwin didn’t really know all that much about Eren. All he knew of the boy’s past was that he was an orphan, like Levi. And perhaps that was why Levi always had a soft spot for him.

Sensing Erwin’s confusion, Eren rested his chin on his knees and opened his mouth to explain himself.

“I was born in Maria,” he began quietly, “When I was five years old, the Emperor and his army came into our country without warning. We weren’t ready for the attack at all. After all, the trade agreements had been keeping the peace between Rose and Maria for years. My mother died in the attack, and my father and I were brought here. We waited here in this darkness for days. Then, the guards came to take my father away, and I never saw him again. That night, a servant came down to see me. She said her name was Mikasa. She told me that my father was dead, and the Emperor was going to kill me next. But then, she...She unlocked the door and led me out of the dungeons, into a tunnel that led outside of the fortress’ grounds. Mikasa had prepared a horse that was waiting for me there, and I asked her to come with me, but she said that she couldn’t. So I rode away without looking back.”

“Eren,” Erwin started, stunned. “You…”

“Yes,” Eren said, and a strange boldness that Erwin had never seen before flashed through the boy’s eyes. “My name is Eren Jaeger. My father was Grisha Jaeger, king of Maria.”

_Jaeger_. That was an ancient name, a name that had once belonged to a long line of kings that watched over the land of Maria for centuries of peace and prosperity. Everyone, even those who lived as far away as Sina, knew that name well, and Erwin was no exception. It was believed that the line had been snuffed out after the Emperor attacked Maria and claimed the land as a part of his own empire. As far as anyone was concerned, the king and his only heir had both been killed. Was this really the son of Grisha Jaeger that was sitting in front of him now?

To think that this stable boy turned squire had royal blood in his veins seemed ludicrous, but Eren had no reason to lie or fabricate stories. Something - perhaps instinct - told Erwin that the boy’s words were all of truth.

“Who else knows about this?” he asked in a hushed tone, leaning closer towards the boy. He believed Eren, of course, but the thought that this whole time, the rightful heir to the kingdom of Maria had been right under his nose was still strange.

“Only the prince,” Eren whispered back, “No-one else.”

“You’re sure?”

“I haven’t told anyone else, not ever. He was the only one I could trust.”

Erwin acknowledged that in keeping his true identity secret to all but Levi, Eren had been quite prudent. After all, if the Emperor had ever heard word that Grisha Jaeger’s heir was still alive somewhere in Sina, he would have ripped the country apart to find and kill him. Even when facing the man that had ruined his life, he gave no indication of ever having seen him before, and Erwin had to admit that he was impressed by the boy’s restraint.

“The Emperor murdered my parents,” Eren hissed, his hands balling into fists, “And now he has the prince. I won’t let that horrible man hurt him, too.”

“And nor will I,” Erwin promised, “Don’t worry, Eren. Levi is strong. He won’t break so easily. He can hang in there for a little longer.”

At that moment, a dim light glowing from the end of the corridor began to approach. Erwin remained still as Eren watched the light grow nearer and nearer with an apprehensive expression. Was it who Erwin was expecting, or was it another guard?

Sure enough, Mike Zacharius came into view, clutching a torch in one hand and a set of rusty copper keys in the other. He’d arrived as planned, exactly in the fashion that the two of them had discussed prior to arriving at the Emperor’s fortress. Neither of them had harboured any doubts that the Emperor might have Erwin and his men taken down here at some point. In the case of such an event, Mike had been instructed to free them and lead them out while the Emperor was occupied. To ensure that the plan would be kept utterly secret, however Erwin had deliberately chosen not to share it with anyone else. Behind Mike, there was a black-haired girl in a servant’s tunic, and Mike was so tall that Erwin might not have seen her if he wasn’t looking closely.

“All right, my friend,” Mike spoke as he handed the torch to the girl to hold, moving forward to unlock the cell that Erwin and Eren were currently trapped in, “Ready to get out of here?”

“Right on time, Mike,” Erwin grinned, “I knew I could count on you. Come on, Eren. Get up. We’re leaving now.”

But Eren was staring dumbfounded at the girl that Mike brought with him. Slack-jawed and wide-eyed, he slowly rose to his feet.

“Mi-Mikasa!?” he spluttered in disbelief, “Mikasa, is that you!?”

“We can talk later,” the girl replied calmly as the lock came free, allowing Mike to swing the door wide open so Erwin and his young squire could exit. “First, we have to release your comrades and get you all safely out.” Eren seemed to accept this logic, but that didn’t stop him from throwing his arms around her in an elated embrace.

“I’ve never actually been down here, so I don’t know my way around the dungeons,” Mike explained with a shrug, “But she does. She’s the dungeon keeper’s apprentice. Don’t worry, we can trust her.”

This, Erwin realised, was the same girl who had led Eren out of the dungeons so many years ago. His knowledge of that little detail from the past was all he needed to vouch for the girl’s trustworthiness. She must not have changed all that much if Eren had been able to recognise her almost instantly.

“The Emperor has taken the prince up his quarters in the eastern tower,” Mike continued as he got to work unlocking the rest of the cells. “But you do realise that once the Emperor finds out that the lot of you have escaped, it will mean war, don’t you?”

Erwin’s answer was immediate and firm.

“He called for war the minute he put his hands on our prince.”

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Levi found himself being flung unceremoniously back into his chambers by the Emperor in the way that one might carelessly toss a doll aside. He landed on his hands and knees, hitting the stone floor hard enough to feel bruises forming almost instantly.

“Whore,” the Emperor accused, “Did you really think you could get away with carrying on with the commander behind my back? How stupid do you think I am? What would your father say if he read that letter? He’d be ashamed of his darling little sparrow.”

Before Levi had the chance to form a retort, he felt the Emperor’s fingers gripping viciously at his hair. He gritted his teeth stubbornly, desperately trying to hold back a cry of pain as the fistful of raven locks were twisted cruelly back. Part of him was determined to show no weakness lest the Emperor derive satisfaction from his suffering, but another part of him hoped that maybe if he amused the brute enough, he would forget about hurting Erwin. It seemed unlikely, but nevertheless, he allowed himself to let out a small whimper as the Emperor jerked him up into a kneeling position.

“Look at you, on your knees like a bitch,” the Emperor sneered as he stood over the panting prince, “It comes naturally to you, doesn’t it? I quite like the way you look right now, you know. Absolutely gorgeous.” His other hand caressed Levi’s cheek in a gesture of mock affection, and Levi instinctively flinched away from his touch.

That had been a mistake. The Emperor’s expression darkened before he struck him across the face with the back of his hand, knocking the prince back onto the cold stone floor. Levi yelped in pain, but made no move to fight back.

_Let him do as he pleases,_ he thought frantically, _If you anger him any further, Erwin will be the one to suffer._

That was the only thing that prevented him from lashing out, and before he knew what was happening, the Emperor grabbed him by the arms and threw him roughly onto the bed. At that moment, Levi realised with sickening clarity just what the Emperor had in mind for him, and he felt incredibly cold as the despicable man looked down at him with a positively ravenous expression on his face. His lips were spread wide in a lecherous grin, and his eyes burned bright with an unmistakable gleam of arousal.

“Now then, why don’t you be a good boy for me?” the Emperor said, the disgusting smile cemented grotesquely onto his face. His voice low and rough with desire, and he paused for a moment to lick his lips lewdly. “If you’re particularly good, who knows? Perhaps I’ll let your beloved commander live a day or two longer. How does that sound?”

Numbly, Levi nodded, and the Emperor’s grin widened even more.

“The gods know how much I’d like to tear the clothes right off your body,” he murmured, reaching out to run a greedy hand down the back of Levi’s neck, his fingers dipping briefly beneath the fabric of his robes to brush against his collarbones. “But we’ll save that for another time. Right now I want you to take them off for me, nice and slow. Go on, slut. Do as you’re told.”

Levi realised that his hands were trembling as he slowly began to undo the clasps that held the front of his robes together. It was humiliating to do this under the Emperor’s hungry gaze, and he could feel his face flushing from the indignity of it all, but what choice did he have but to obey? As he worked his way through the clasps, the robes fell open and the fabric slid down his shoulders to reveal creamy ivory flesh underneath.

The grey cloth pooled around Levi’s waist, and a shiver ran down his spine. Whether it was because of dread or the cold air against his bare skin, he wasn’t sure. But he hesitated to remove the rest of the robes as a sudden terrible thought occurred to him.

No man on earth, not even Erwin, had ever seen his bare body in its entirety. Although the king had sometimes instructed Levi to entice potential suitors by “accidentally” allowing the briefest glimpse of delicate collarbones or a bare shoulder, he’d also always warned him that if he revealed too much to any one man, he would spoil himself for all others. He’d been taught that his body was an object for his future husband to admire and enjoy, but if it had already been seen by someone else, it would bring disgrace to his husband, even if his virginity was still intact. After all, men wanted things that were pure and untouched in all aspects. What use would they have for a toy that another man already had his fun with?

That, Levi supposed, was why the Emperor had been so infuriated when he discovered his affair with Erwin. But now, already marked by the Emperor’s whip and about to expose himself fully to the man, Levi understood that there was no way on earth that Erwin would ever take him back now. Even if the commander somehow had the means to snatch him back from the Emperor’s clutches, he wouldn’t even want him anymore. It was bad enough that he bore those terrible scars, but this - this would surely seal his fate.

Levi knew it was petty to be thinking about something like that when Erwin was in danger, but the thought was too painful to bear. A searing agony began worming its way into his heart, far worse than any physical pain that had ever been inflicted upon him, and it nearly knocked all of the breath from his lungs.

“What are you doing?” the Emperor snapped impatiently, “Don’t just sit there like some kind of idiot. Get on with it.”

“Please,” Levi found himself saying weakly, “I don’t-”

Before he could so much as utter another word, the Emperor lunged at him without warning. Levi tried to scramble away, but the Emperor was on top of him in seconds. With a snarl, he seized the fabric of the robes and violently ripped the remaining garments away from the prince’s body with a single movement.

With a pathetic sob, Levi tried desperately to cover himself with the bedsheets in a feeble attempt to salvage what little dignity he had left. But the Emperor encircled both of his wrists in one hand to stop him from doing so, and with the other hand, he gripped his thigh with bruising strength to force his legs apart.

“So beautiful,” the Emperor muttered hungrily, swooping down to lick his way up Levi’s chest as if he was devouring a meal before swallowing the prince’s disgusted cry of protest with a rough, sloppy kiss. Levi wriggled frantically about underneath him, trying in vain to push him away. He knew that he shouldn’t struggle - if he behaved, perhaps the Emperor might show Erwin more lenience - but the more he thrashed, the more frenzied the Emperor’s movements became.

“Go on,” he growled, his breath hot and disgustingly moist against Levi’s ear, “That’s it, whore. Try to fight me. I like to see you squirm and cry.”

The Emperor was having fun with this, Levi realised with horror. The more he struggled, the more the brute was enjoying himself. Humiliated tears streamed down his cheeks as the Emperor released his wrists to paw greedily at his rear with both hands, squeezing and kneading at the flesh with an animalistic eagerness.

“I know tradition says that I’m not supposed to play with you until our wedding night, but I admit that I am not a patient man. Who’s to say I can’t go ahead and have my fun now?” the Emperor chuckled as he settled himself between Levi’s spread legs, holding his trembling thighs apart to prevent him from trying to kick at him.

His lips curled upwards in a cold sneer as he stared down at the prince in amusement, and Levi squeezed his eyes shut and turned his face away so he wouldn’t have to meet his gaze.

“Maybe tomorrow, after the wedding, I’ll have Commander Smith brought here. He can watch me fuck his little lover raw and bloody.”

With a bark of laughter, he let go of Levi’s thighs to remove his own trousers before leaning down to press another ravenous open-mouthed kiss to the prince’s lips.

Levi bit down on his tongue, hard.

The Emperor jerked back in surprise with a howl, and the foul, metallic taste of blood filled Levi’s mouth, but he ignored it. Before the Emperor could react, his hand darted between the mattress and the headboard to grip the handle of the dagger Erwin had given him. The Emperor let out an enraged roar and made a move to grab him by the throat when he saw a sliver of light glinting against the metal of the blade, but Levi was too fast for him.

The fire inside of him was burning bright and white-hot now, and nothing on earth was going to stop him.

With a snarl, he slammed the dagger into the Emperor’s chest, pushing the blade forward with all of his strength until it was buried up to the hilt in flesh. He jerked it free, only to slam it back in again. The Emperor toppled backwards onto the bed with a terrible scream, writhing like a worm at the end of a fishing hook as blood blossomed across the fabric of his shirt and spurted forth from his lips.

Levi was on top of him in a flash, straddling him between his thighs before stabbing him viciously in the gut. Blood splattered onto his face and body, slick and disgustingly warm against his bare skin, but he kept going like some sort of feral animal, and the Emperor’s pleas for mercy all fell on deaf ears.

“S-Stop!” the Emperor choked out, trying in vain to push the prince away as the knife pierced his stomach and chest again and again, “I’ll release the commander! I promise! Please-”

But Levi had no intention of showing any quarter, and he plunged the dagger back into the Emperor’s chest one final time. The Emperor went limp underneath him, his eyes lifeless and glassy, and it was only then that Levi let the dagger fall from his fingers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not really sure if I like the execution of this chapter. Everything feels sort of sudden? I dunno, I'd been planning the plot twist re: Eren for a while, but I should have maybe hinted at it in earlier chapters so it wouldn't have felt like it came out of nowhere. But yay, Mikasa's here!
> 
> And I realise now that the part with Levi and the dagger may also feel a bit random because it might have been hard to remember that he hid the dagger there in the last chapter. I apologise for all of that!


End file.
